Wednesday is expected to be decision day for Dan Hurley.

Will Hurley pick UConn, Pittsburgh, or stay at Rhode Island where he's rebuilt the basketball program over the last six years?

Hurley is weighing his coaching choices after meeting with URI athletic director Thorr Bjorn on Tuesday. He spoke with both UConn and Pittsburgh on Monday.

All three schools are still options for Hurley.

UConn has some stiff competition.

Pittsburgh offered Hurley a multi-year contract worth over $3 million per year, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports Network.

That lucrative deal may be tough for UConn to match and hard for Hurley to turn down. It would be a substantial raise for Hurley, who makes about $1.1 million per year at URI. His contract also includes a buyout of $1.5 million.

The Panthers also play in a high profile league in the Atlantic Coast Conference while the Huskies reside in the American Athletic Conference, which is only a small step up from the Atlantic-10, URI's home.

But the Huskies have a rich basketball tradition and likely an easier rebuild on their side. Hurley also prefers the UConn program over Pittsburgh, according to a source.

Don't rule out Hurley remaining at URI.

Hurley has enjoyed his time at Rhode Island, becoming the first coach in program history to lead the Rams to NCAA tournament wins in consecutive seasons. He's grown very close to his players there. He also has a terrific recruiting class coming in next season. He's won 51 games in the last two years, including going 26-8 and capturing an A-10 regular season title this season.

URI could entice Hurley to stay by offering some upgrades, like practice facility improvements and more charter flights.

If Hurley turns down UConn, the Huskies will continue their search for a replacement for Kevin Ollie, who was fired on March 10 after two straight losing seasons.

UConn cited just cause in Ollie's dismissal, pointing to the NCAA investigation into the men's basketball program. Ollie is locked in a battle with UConn to try to collect the remaining $10 million left on his contract.

g.keefe@theday.com