Hurst was born in Surat on a sheep and cattle property in the south west corner of Queensland.
Hurst has previously expressed his connection with the land, noting that he never contemplated another career other than to succeed his father on the family property.
[1] Hurst took over the job from as coach of the North Queensland Cowboys from Tim Sheens in 2001.
Hurst was later replaced by former Sydney Roosters coach Graham Murray.
Hurst finished his 25-year Coaching Career with an overall success rate of 88% from Club League in Queensland, Representative Coaching (Tonga, Aust U19, Qld Residents, Qld Country, Australian Universities) and NRL.