Danny Hurley has quickly become one of the most respected figures in college basketball. The UConn head coach has captured back-to-back national championships and multiple Big East titles, cementing his place among the elite in the sport. His teams mirror his personality—relentless, intense, and driven by the same fiery energy he brings to the sideline.

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But that energy may have gotten the best of him Saturday in UConn’s loss in the final Big East regular season game against the Marquette Golden Eagles. Hurley finally exploded at the officials when he came across the sideline and made contact with referee John Gaffney. Visibly angry, Hurley came face-to-face with Gaffney and appeared to make contact with his face.

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Hurley was promptly ejected from the game with only seconds left on the clock and was later fined $25,000 by the Big East.  The loss was a significant one for the Huskies, as it also handed the Big East regular-season title to the St. John’s Red Storm.

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Such outbursts have become a pattern for Hurley, who is routinely assessed technical fouls and occasionally fined for confronting officials and publicly criticizing their decisions. During games, he is often seen being restrained by members of the UConn coaching staff.

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Hurley’s intensity has helped build a championship program — but moments like Saturday show how easily that intensity can spill over the line.  Hurley needs to find a middle-ground and control his emotional outbursts during games.  The Huskies will come into the Big East and NCAA Tournaments as one of the consensus favorites, but let’s hope that these types of eruptions don’t eventually overshadow an otherwise Hall of Fame caliber career.