The Athletic has live coverage of Illinois vs. UConn in the 2026 Men’s Final Four.

INDIANAPOLIS — Connecticut coach Dan Hurley’s light headbutt of official Roger Ayers late in Sunday’s win over Duke remains a hot topic and had Hurley talking social media, the jealousy that accompanies success and his own NCAA Tournament record Thursday.

“Dealing with the officials, I think I’m an intense coach — it’s not easy to work my games,” Hurley acknowledged at a Final Four preview news conference at Lucas Oil Stadium. “But I’ve always gotten zero technical fouls in my NCAA Tournament coaching career.”

Hurley paused for a moment and smiled.

“I just jinxed myself,” he said. “Oh my God, now I’m going to get bounced out of this thing. Oh my God. Getting walked out of (this) stadium … long walk.”

Hurley’s behavior toward officials, venomous at times, has been a serious topic over the past two seasons. He has received two technical fouls this season, but the Ayers interaction appeared playful. Hurley told “The Triple Option” podcast that he thought Ayers was “coming over to chest bump me.”

“In no way was that, like, me and a ref that I had been at their throat the whole game,” Hurley said on the podcast.

That hasn’t stemmed public reaction, of course.

“I think that’s what, I guess, makes social media so appealing to people, is that you can have the discourse and different opinions about how somebody carries themselves … for you, it’s a game,” Hurley said Thursday. “For some people, we’re just out there playing a game. For me, it’s a life-or-death battle. It’s a war. It’s a street fight for me.

“However, you look at sports or people on social media that comment on how the combatants carry themselves, that’s not really for me to judge. I approach sports as a competitor … My responsibility is to win games and obviously do a great job for my players. Those are really the only two things I’m concerned with.”

UConn (33-5) faces South Region champion Illinois (28-8) in the first national semifinal at 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday in Indianapolis. The winner will play either Michigan (35-3) or Arizona (36-2) for the national title on Monday. The Huskies are going for their third title in four years, which, to Hurley, also plays a role in the discourse over his behavior.

“(That) comes with the territory, and a lot of it comes with the success,” he said. “The winning back-to-back championships, you put yourself in a position where you’re going to be picked apart.”