The footage was taken inside the bowels of the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. ... just after Hurley's Huskies dropped their second-round matchup to the Florida Gators, 77-75.

Hurley could be heard in the clip screaming about the referees ... as the Baylor Bears were gearing up to take the court for their matchup with Duke.

"I hope they don't f*** you like they f***ed us," Hurley said of the officials to Baylor coaches. "I hope they don't do that to you, Baylor."

Hurley was immediately dragged online for his behavior ... and according to Joey Ellis -- the Charlotte Sports Live journalist who filmed it all -- UConn was so livid it got out into the public, the school's director of communications, Bobby Mullen, actually confronted him over it.

"Mullen asked for that video that had gone viral to be removed," Ellis' colleague stated on Monday. "He then threatened Joey, saying he would, 'ruin his life if he didn't.' This was heard by multiple other reporters and staff on hand."

Mullen didn't exactly deny his alleged role in the incident ... saying in a statement to CSL on Monday, "The lasting image of Coach Hurley leaving the court should've been his walking off the court arm-in-arm with his seniors, overwhelmed with emotion."

"Instead, a reporter, who was in an area he should not have been, recorded on his cell phone a private comment made to members of another coaching staff."