uconn has a new assistant coach on the men’s basketball bench, with former Butler coach Mike Pegues reportedly replacing Luke Murray. The move comes after Murray left this offseason for the head-coaching job at Boston College, changing the staff around Dan Hurley before a schedule that includes several high-level non-conference games.
Pegues brings a long coaching trail to Storrs. He spent four years at Butler, where he focused on post player development, recruiting and scouting and helped the Bulldogs reach the NIT and the Crown Tournament. He also coached at Louisville from 2018 to 2022, Xavier from 2012 to 2018, Delaware from 2010 to 2012 and VCU from 2009 to 2010.
Mike Pegues and Luke Murray
Murray’s departure closes a six-season run at UConn that began in 2021 and ended in 2026. He helped the Huskies win two national championships and worked with Hurley at Wagner, Rhode Island and Connecticut, giving the staff continuity through several deep runs.
That continuity now shifts to Pegues, who already has crossover with Murray from Louisville and Xavier. He also served as Louisville’s interim head coach at one point and played professionally in Europe, South America, New Zealand and in the CBA, giving UConn a replacement with both college and pro experience.
Uconn Non-Conference Slate
The timing matters because UConn is coming off a trip to the national championship game and will face Duke, Kansas, Michigan, Arizona, Illinois, Virginia and Ohio State in non-conference play. Michigan, Arizona and Illinois were each Final Four teams last season, which puts immediate pressure on the reshaped staff to settle in quickly.
Boston College’s side of the move also explains the opening Pegues fills. Murray left for a program that went 11-20 last season and has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2009, while UConn keeps one of its most important bench roles in-house with a coach whose background fits the kind of personnel work and scouting Hurley has leaned on.
