Stamford — Dan Hurley knew UConn fans were passionate from his playing days at Seton Hall University.

But nothing could prepare him for what the new UConn men's basketball coach experienced over the last four days.

Hurley got a heavy dose of Huskymania during the UConn Huskies Coaches Road Show, which made its fourth and final stop on Thursday. UConn's Stamford campus served as host.

"You can see the passion with the fan base," Hurley said. "Playing at Seton Hall, you could kind of sense it as a player. Just to see the response across the state and in New York, you can see this amazing love affair that this state has with UConn athletics and then obviously UConn men's basketball.

"It really is humbling. I'm blown away by it. It's also just incredibly exciting as a coach. One of the critical aspects that you need in a program to build something is a rabid fan base. I would say this qualifies."

Husky fans chatted with Hurley, women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, football coach Randy Edsall and baseball coach Jim Penders before hearing them answer questions on stage.

Questions varied from fans over the four days. Athletic director David Benedict was often asked about the men's basketball program.

"Obviously, everyone is really focused on men's basketball right now and coach Hurley and how that is going," Benedict said. "A lot of people have commented just how happy they are about coach Hurley's arrival and how excited they are for the coming season."

Edsall fielded questions about the state of the football program, the American Athletic Conference and this season's outlook.

"These are the things that you have to do," Edsall said of the Road Show. "We have to be customer-service friendly and go to the people and reinvigorate the fan base, especially in football."

The UConn Huskies Coaches Road Show has been a huge success in its first run, drawing crowds at every stop.

Call it the beginning of a new UConn tradition.

"I'd say the early returns are good," Benedict said. "We've had four events at four different locations and we've had big crowds at each of those venues. People are happy to see us and people are happy to visit with our coaches and to rub elbows with them, so to speak.

"There's obviously a lot of energy and excitement around what we've been doing this week. There's been a lot of publicity about it and a lot of articles written. And all of that is really good, because we're bringing attention to our university and to our athletic programs in places that we haven't been. We need to do that on a more regular basis."

The Road Show, which hit Glastonbury, Branford, New York City and Stamford, will branch out to other areas in the state next year, including possibly southeastern Connecticut. New York will be a regular stop.

"We definitely want to add to the Road Show," Benedict said. "When we come down to New York next year, instead of maybe leaving at one o'clock, we leave in the morning and we hit a place in Connecticut on the way down and then come to New York.

"Shortly after we're done here, we're going to all get together and talk about what was good and what we can improve on and what our plans are for next year. This is definitely something that is going to continue and will become a tradition. And we want to reach out to communities and find out who wants us to come visit and work with those communities to host events."

News and notes

• Penders is thrilled for Waterford pitcher Mike Burrows who was drafted in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Burrows, who committed to UConn, has a decision to make about his future.

"We had a quick conversation via text yesterday and just congratulating him on the phone," Penders said. "How many kids get an opportunity to hear their name called in the draft? I'm just very happy for him. He's going to have a choice."

... Hurley, a New Jersey native, is looking forward to playing Florida State at the Prudential Center in Newark in the Never Forget Games on Dec. 8.

"It's going to be awesome. A Metropolitan presence is huge for us. A chance to play a high level nonconference game. And for me, personally, a chance to coach back in New Jersey and in Newark where I coached high school for nine years."

g.keefe@theday.com