Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga has stepped down and will retire, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to NJ Advance Media. A team meeting is scheduled for later Thursday.
The source was not authorized to speak publicly because he does not speak directly for Miami.
Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald first reported the news.
Associate head coach Bill Courtney, a former point guard at Bucknell, will take over in an interim basis for the 75-year-old Larranaga, a Bronx, N.Y. native and Archbishop Molloy High School graduate who led the Hurricanes to the Final Four just two years ago. Courtney was the head coach at Cornell from 2010-16, compiling a 60–113 record, before rejoining Larranaga as an assistant at Miami. He had previously worked under Larranaga at George Mason.
Per the Herald, Larranaga was under contract through the 2026-27 season.
Larranaga becomes the latest high-profile and latest ACC coach to retire in the wake of dramatic changes to the college basketball landscape, including the prominence of the transfer portal and the rise of Name, Image and Likeness payments to players.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett stepped down before the season and legends Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Roy Williams of North Carolina and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse retired in recent years. So did Villanova coach Jay Wright, and Alabama football coach Nick Saban.
“He’s probably fed up like all the other coaches,” one high school coach who has sent players to Miami said. “You’re paying these kids and nobody’s working hard.
“It’s a tough business. And you don’t have the hammer no more to put down on them. They’re getting paid so how do you bench them?”
Miami is 4-8 on the season and lost at home to Mount St. Mary’s last Saturday.
Larranaga is 274-174 in his 14 years at Miami after previously coaching at George Mason, Bowling Green and American. He is the winningest coach in program history and led the Hurricanes to six NCAA Tournaments, and four Sweet 16s.
As the Herald pointed out, Miami lost guards Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller to graduation and the program was ravaged by the transfer portal after last season: Norchad Omier left for Baylor, Wooga Poplar for Villanova and Bensley Joseph for Providence. Jakai Robinson and Favour Aire went to Bryant, Christian Watson to Southern Miss, AJ Casey to Saint Lous and Michael Nwoko to Mississippi State. Freshman Kyshawn George was picked No. 24 in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.
The Hurricanes next play at Boston College on New Year’s Day.
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
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