Dan Hurley clears the air on viral referee moment in UConn-Duke game

A lot came out of the No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn game for both Blue Devil and Huskies fans. For Connecticut fans, it was sheer euphoria after a buzzer-beater from Braylon Mullins on a logo three-pointer. For Duke fans, it was agony and disbelief that Cayden Boozer chose to pass — and turned the ball over — instead of taking the foul.

However, beyond the shot, one moment in particular stood out to Blue Devil fans. After the game, UConn head coach Dan Hurley appeared to headbutt referee Roger Ayers and stare into his eyes.

If a coach makes contact with a referee, it is usually deemed a technical foul, awarding the opposing team two free throws. Had Duke made those free throws, the Blue Devils would have gone to the Final Four. Ayers did not seem to take the Hurley interaction too harshly and never blew his whistle.

So what really happened between Hurley and Ayers? Here is what both said about the situation.

MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more

Dan Hurley addresses viral ref moment

On The Triple Option, a weekly show hosted by Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II & Rob Stone, Hurley gave his insights on what actually went on in the moment that appeared heated without further context. According to Hurley, it was anything but combative. Here is what Hurley explained to Ingram on the show.

The UConn coach explained that he and the referee he made contact with, Roger Ayers, have a good relationship. The two poke fun at each other throughout games, and Hurley said he even put his arm around Ayers after a timeout.

"He's such an easy guy to work with during the game that I thought he was coming over to chest-bump me to celebrate the shot," Hurley explained. "It's not like that for me with him, you know? ... In no way was that like me and a ref that I had been at their throat the whole game."

MORE: SN's 2026 Final Four predictions

Dan Hurley referee headbutt video

Just after Mullins' logo three-pointer to send UConn to the Final Four in the final seconds against Duke, Hurley was seen going head-to-head with Ayers. Here is a video of the moment.

With no context, the moment does look harsh. However, Hurley and the referee are good friends, according to the coach, so Ayers knew Hurley did not do this in a hostile fashion. However, some college basketball fans still believe that the coach should have been given a technical foul regardless, as he did make contact with a member of the officiating crew.

MORE: Who are the 15 best college basketball teams of all time?

What did referee say about Dan Hurley headbutt

On Monday night, just one day after the UConn vs. Duke game, ESPN's Seth Greenberg mentioned that he had the chance to speak with the referee about the situation. Here is a video of Greenberg discussing his conversation with Ayers.

Seth Greenberg: "I talked to [Roger Ayers]... He said, 'What are you talking about?' He literally didn't know what I was talking about. He said, 'Nothing happened'... That was social media trying to create something out of nothing because of Dan Hurley's 'allegedly' reputation." pic.twitter.com/hsmp0AixR4

According to Greenberg, Ayers thought nothing of the incident, and that social media was hyping up a situation that did not need to be an issue, despite Hurley's past occurrences with referees.

"I talked to [Roger Ayers]... He said, 'What are you talking about?' He literally didn't know what I was talking about, said Greenberg. "He said, 'Nothing happened'... That was social media trying to create something out of nothing because of Dan Hurley's 'allegedly' reputation."