OT: Jim Larranaga Retiring

[aceboon]

Elite 8 and Final Four in back to back seasons, last year's team had got off to a pretty good start and then the wheels came off, not sure what happened there.

 

[mussels]

Seems like a good guy.

Had a game plan against us that assumed Sanogo couldn’t/wouldn’t shoot the three. He was mistaken.

 

[NowInStorrs]

Seems like a good guy.

Had a game plan against us that assumed Sanogo couldn’t/wouldn’t shoot the three. He was mistaken.

He thought they could beat us. They could not.

 

[SoFla Steve]

I think Leonard Hamilton is now the last of the ACC septuagenarian coaches to retire. As I recall, there was a thread a few years ago that discussed what would happen to the ACC after all of its legendary coaches were gone. Now we know.

 

[HooperScooper]

Seems like a good guy.

Had a game plan against us that assumed Sanogo couldn’t/wouldn’t shoot the three. He was mistaken.

So he thought they could win but they could not?

 

[Hi-Low]

Kind of lame to quit during the season unless health reasons...which doesn't appear to be the case. Not as lame as what Tony Bennett pulled right before start of season but still should finish the job.

Good coach, will always dislike him though for G Mason Elite 8 win over good guys

 

[HooperScooper]

Kind of lame to quit during the season unless health reasons...which doesn't appear to be the case.

Could be that he's been "pushed" out by Miami.

 

[HCCForever]

Kind of lame to quit during the season unless health reasons...which doesn't appear to be the case.

Good coach, will always dislike him though for G Mason Elite 8 win over good guys.

Miami is 4-8 which I am sure influenced the 75 year old Larranaga.

Back in 2006, I got a kick out of the chant "George, Mason". Once I witnessed the defeat of UConn in Washington DC by that same team, my feelings changed. Good coach.

 

[traitor71]

Miami is 4-8 which I am sure influenced the 75 year old Larranaga.

Back in 2006, I got a kick out of the chant "George, Mason". Once I witnessed the defeat of UConn in Washington DC by that same team, my feelings changed. Good coach.

I would say that father time probably scored an "early" knockout on this one. He was all about energy and enthusiasm, and if he has lost that, why fight through the season? That wouldn't do anyone any good I imagine.

 

[RuffRuff]

Any reason to explore Pack in the 30 day window? Could fill a current gap. Highly doubtful for many reasons (NIL, not the Hurley way). We could definitely use another ball handler. Redshirt senior so only a half year commit. Cleveland, a 6’7” guard that can shoot is also an interesting piece. Will be interesting to see if any of these players do leave, as Miami is not good.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

The lack of structure around the NIL and transfer portal is taking away a lot of great coaches.

 

[HooperScooper]

Reading this article makes you think he was "pushed" out and the idea to leave wasn't his.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article297597538.html

 

[ctbro1999]

Reading this article makes you think he was "pushed" out and the idea to leave wasn't his.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article297597538.html

Guess the admin at Miami wanted to get ahead of the game on a replacement coach search.
Holy crap:

The Hurricanes dropped to 4-8 this season with an overtime loss to Mount St. Mary’s last week and have lost 18 of their past 22 games dating to last season

 

[aceboon]

everybody is paying kids, if they're not working hard then that's on you for picking the roster

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The lack of structure around the NIL and transfer portal is taking away a lot of great coaches.

I mean NIL and the transfer portal was pretty much solely responsible for his late career resurgence.

 

[Ports21]

You do not want Pack or Cleveland. They would not fit in with the UConn culture AT ALL -- I'll leave it at that.

 

[Ports21]

I mean NIL and the transfer portal was pretty much solely responsible for his late career resurgence.

Not accurate at all. His 2012-13 team may have been his best team. Shane Larkin, Kenny Kadji, Durand Scott, Trey McKinney-Jones, won the ACC regular and tourney but got bounced by Marquette in Sweet 16. But that team was super fun to watch.

 

[navery12]

Any reason to explore Pack in the 30 day window? Could fill a current gap. Highly doubtful for many reasons (NIL, not the Hurley way). We could definitely use another ball handler. Redshirt senior so only a half year commit. Cleveland, a 6’7” guard that can shoot is also an interesting piece. Will be interesting to see if any of these players do leave, as Miami is not good.

That's not a thing anyway, you can't transfer and play for a new school during the same season

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I mean NIL and the transfer portal was pretty much solely responsible for his late career resurgence.

Don’t know how true that is or not. But I’m not sure how you can argue the negative impact this has had on college sports overall when you’ve looked at everyone who has retired/left over the last 5 years. In both basketball and football.

 

[gsmooth]

Kind of lame to quit during the season unless health reasons...which doesn't appear to be the case. Not as lame as what Tony Bennett pulled right before start of season but still should finish the job.

Good coach, will always dislike him though for G Mason Elite 8 win over good guys

Jim Larranaga is a very good high level coach that will probably make the Hall of Fame, although not 100% certain. Kenny Smith and others have nothing but great things to say about him.

I will say though I hated the image of him dancing and smiling and celebrating on the court after that Elite 8 win over UConn in 2006 and then saying the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) stands for "Connecticut Assassin Association" in the post press conference. Seeing him sad and melancholy and hugging his crying players after UConn knocked him out of the Final 4 was very gratifying. The power of Dan Hurley. Thanks Hurley for getting that one back for Calhoun and us fans.

 

[navery12]

Don’t know how true that is or not. But I’m not sure how you can argue the negative impact this has had on college sports overall when you’ve looked at everyone who has retired/left over the last 5 years. In both basketball and football.

But like 90+% of those guys are 70+ and ready to retire. The only coach I can think of that fits this narrative is Jay Wright. Maybe I'm just forgetting others though. Jim Larranaga is 75 years old, he was retiring regardless

 

[gsmooth]

Don’t know how true that is or not. But I’m not sure how you can argue the negative impact this has had on college sports overall when you’ve looked at everyone who has retired/left over the last 5 years. In both basketball and football.

The NIL and transfer portal are a matter of how much a coach is willing to adapt and pivot with their work processes and protocols. Older people in general, not just college basketball coaches, are more rigid in their ways and less willing to change. Also, recruiting before NIL and the transfer portal take a lot of energy and can be exhaustive, but now with NIL and transfer portal that is amplified. Just going off the top of my head it seems like most of the coaches that have left are not only older, but coaches that have already made a lot of money and accomplished a lot (national championships, conference titles, etc.). Names that come to mind are Jay Wright and Roy Williams.

Now UConn fans might bring up Jim Mora, but like he said he is already used to this with his experience as a NFL head coach and dealing with free agency (transfer portal), and the NFL draft (high school recruiting) so the amount he had to adapt was not nearly as much as a coach that has only coached college most of their life.

I know Tony Bennett is one of the exceptions that flies in the face and against the points above. FWIW, I feel bad for his players that Bennett departed immediately before the season started-it's not fair to the players that chose Virginia because of him.

 

[HCCForever]

But like 90+% of those guys are 70+ and ready to retire. The only coach I can think of that fits this narrative is Jay Wright. Maybe I'm just forgetting others though. Jim Larranaga is 75 years old, he was retiring regardless

Tony Bennett, formerly of VA is only 55.

 

[navery12]

Tony Bennett, formerly of VA is only 55.

That's a good call, forgot he was so young