Panic attacks are surprisingly common. Research shows that more than 28% of adults experience at least one panic attack in their lifetime.
Were you able to escape from the group? That’s certainly a big blessing. After all, a panic attack is the last thing anyone would wish on their worst enemy. It feels terrible when you experience it. One person who can attest to that is Dan Hurley, a great college head coach.
Harley herself has experienced panic attacks. The University Huskies head coach talked about it in a candid interview in September 2024. Sitting down with Graham Bensinger, he described the mix as follows: “Unbearable anxiety” and “I feel unbearably nervous about what will happen next.” It flooded him before some games.
More than just game day nerves
Hurley doesn’t need a medical journal to explain what a panic attack feels like. He was in the tunnel even before the tipoff. My stomach twists so badly that I keep going to the bathroom wondering how my body can handle it.
“You would I don’t think I can go to the bathroom that many times.” he said in an interview with Bensinger.
In that moment, Harley isn’t just afraid of losing; He is afraid of his own heart. The back-to-back NCAA champion head coach said this occurs when a sudden rush of out-of-control thoughts hits. For example, he suddenly imagines all the Huskies players playing their worst game. At the same time, he also sees the best in all his opponents. Admittedly, those thoughts are not rational. Still, they’re there. And interacting with them will only make the situation worse.
The next layer is the chessboard inside Harley’s head. complex defense. Layered attack. Substitute. Adjustments at the moment. The mental state of the players is melting.
“What’s happening in the game is very complex.” he said. “That caused a lot of problems because I know things so well.”
Anxiety is not a weakness for Harley.
For years, it somehow worked out for him. Hurley stressed that every game, every win created things. “It’s much easier.” After every NCAA championship, he felt like, “It’s much calmer.”
However, that wasn’t the end.
The 2024 Naismith Coach of the Year told Bensinger that he had a panic attack severe enough to be taken to the hospital. Everything happened to be too much at once, especially during my time as a high school coach. Hurley was dealing with a young player, a young marriage, and the reality of being released from Rutgers. Money was tight. The pressure was everywhere. he was always afraid “It just hasn’t been successful.” and are unable to offer or achieve anything worthy of pride.
When that pressure builds up and everything feels like too much, it can feel like you’re having a heart attack, he said. Except it’s not. It’s a panic attack.
Hurley talked about two recent episodes.
One of them was a hit when it rang the bell on the New York Stock Exchange the previous year. According to his account, the season had already exhausted him. Both mentally and physically. Then came the whirlwind of championships, elation, exhaustion, and appearances. He felt cut off from his team, cut off from everyday life, and overwhelmed by noise.
To cope with it all, the 53-year-old New Jersey native eventually learned to rely on two things.
Let’s start with the practical content.
He continues to follow routines like superstitions, holy water, M&Ms, rituals and armor.
Second, he leans into deeper work.
Harley goes to therapy, keeps her faith, and speaks openly about it. For example, he says being honest about anxiety or depression doesn’t show weakness. It shows strength. And hearing him talk about it is the only way to really see it.
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This article was originally published by Basketball Network on April 6, 2026 and first appeared in the Off the Court section. Click here to add Basketball Network as your preferred source.
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