STORRS, Conn. (WTNH) — UConn students say they get excited for basketball and now they’re getting excited for this new change.

45-year-old Dan Hurley has been named the new men’s basketball head coach.

“I’m from the tri-state area, Philadelphia, and right next to New Jersey. I know he’s from Jersey. His dad is a legendary high school coach from around there. So, like, the Hurley name is definitely very prevalent where I’m from,” said Temi Aiyegbusi who is a guard with the UConn men’s basketball team.

He has high hopes for his new coach.

“I’m just hoping for the best,” said Aiyegbusi. “Hope we can all stay together as a unit as a team, continue to do what we’re doing, and go in the right direction.”

Hurley is credited with rebuilding the University of Rhode Island’s basketball program bringing the Rams to the NCAA tournament the last two years.

“I’m pretty excited. I think it’s time for a change around here,” said UConn junior Bobby Luciano. “Big basketball school so I think it’s good to have some new people in.”

“I’m always excited for basketball so if we do well with a new coach then yeah that’s good,” said UConn junior Emma Stark.Related Content: UConn names Dan Hurley as new Men’s Basketball Head Coach

“I think it will be interesting to have finally some new blood once again,” said UConn senior John Drost.

Hurley replaces coach Kevin Ollie who was let go from the team just a few weeks ago.

“If you’re not performing then you gotta go I guess,” said UConn sophomore Marley Cadigan.

“I guess I wish him the best of luck from here on out. But I think it was just time for a change,” said Luciano.

Students are hoping Hurley has what it takes to turn UConn’s basketball program around.

“I think his recruiting skills will be big here because I think our pass few recruiting classes we’ve taken a few losses like people have gone elsewhere not coming to UConn so I think that will be a big part of it recruiting,” said UConn sophomore Miles Richards.

“Haven’t been winning as much as we like to especially for a big basketball school like UConn,” said Cadigan. “So I think he can definitively turn the program around if it’s definitely a possibility.

UConn will introduce Dan Hurley as the men’s head coach at a press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center on the Storrs campus.