Another college basketball coaching legend is leaving the sport.
Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga stepped down on Friday, the school announced. Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald was the first to report the news.
Larranaga, 75, is 274-174 in his 14 years at Miami and is the winningest coach in school history. He led the program to six NCAA Tournaments, four Sweet 16s and a Final Four in 2023.
Miami also won ACC Championships in 2013 and 2023, but the Canes have struggled since that magical run. Miami went 15-17 last season and sits at 4-8 this year with losses to teams like Charleston Southern and Mount St. Mary’s.
During a press conference on Thursday, Larranaga indicated that the changing college basketball landscape, especially the prevalence of the transfer portal and challenges brought on by Name, Image and Likeness, as factors in his decision.
“After more than fifty years in college coaching, it is simply time,” Larrañaga said. “There is never a great moment to step away, but I owe it to our student-athletes, our staff and the University of Miami to make this move now when my heart is simply no longer in the game and I owe it to Liz, Jay, Jon, and my grandchildren to be a greater part of their lives.”
“The university needs a new leader of the program, one who is both adept at and embracing of the new world of intercollegiate athletics. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Hurricane Family and to represent this world-class institution. Most importantly, I have been so blessed to have coached the hundreds of young men who chose to wear the UM jersey and who have gone on to flourish in their respective journeys. I will always be a Cane.”
Larranaga expressed his desire to build teams over time as he has in the past, and pointed to the success of players like Hornets guard Isaiah Wong, who spent four years with the program before being drafted in 2023.
Miami has lost several key players since its run to the Final Four. Since last season, Norchad Omier (Baylor), Wooga Poplar (Villanova), Bensley Joseph (Providence), Jakai Robinson and Favour Aire (Bryant), Christian Watson (Southern Miss), AJ Casey (Saint Lous) and Michael Nwoko (Mississippi State) have left the program.
Larranaga rose to prominence when he led upstart George Mason to the Final Four in 2006. He also coached at Bowling Green between 1986 and 1997 and has 744 career wins, which is 51st all time.
He is the latest high-profile coach to leave the sport and Larranaga didn’t sugarcoat the dire situation in college athletics during his farwell press conference.
“I’m exhausted,” he said. “I’ve tried every which way to keep this going. What shocked me beyond belief was after we made it to the Final Four just 18 month ago. The very first time I met with the players, eight of them decided they were going to put their name in the portal and leave. And I said, ‘Don’t you like it here?‘”
“But the opportunity to make money someplace else created a situation that you have to begin to ask yourself as a coach, what is this all about? And the answer is, it’s become professional.”
Virginia’s Tony Bennett shockingly retired before the start of the season, following in the footsteps of fellow ACC titans like North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Notre Dame’s Mike Brey.
Villanova‘s Jay Wright also retired in 2022 leaving Michigan State‘s Tom Izzo, Kansas’ Bill Self, Baylor‘s Scott Drew, St. John’s Rick Pitino, Arkansas’ John Calipari and UConn’s Dan Hurley as the active coaches to win a national championship.
“It is hard to fully articulate just what Jim Larrañaga has meant to the University of Miami,” said UM President Joe Echevarria.
“His contributions go well beyond the wins, the championships and the Final Four run in 2023. He has elevated our athletics program and increased the visibility of our institution by championing our educational mission. Perhaps most importantly, he has recruited tremendous young men to Coral Gables who earned their degrees and who impacted the community, and we are grateful for his service.”
Associate head coach Bill Courtney, a former point guard at Bucknell, will take over at Miami on an interim basis. A national search for a new coach is underway.
“As a university, we will honor his (Larranaga) legacy by continuing to invest in our men’s basketball program and by pursuing a new leader of our program who will take us to unprecedented heights,” Echevarria said. “With a world-class institution, incredible fans and a commitment to championships, I am confident in what comes next.”
The Hurricanes next game is at Boston College on Jan. 1.
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