OT: Jim Larranaga Retiring

[champs99and04]

And all of that is irrelevant to everything I just said. If you don't see the difference between Steph Curry and Cam Spencer then this is a not a conversation worth having

I'd be willing to bet that for every Cam Spencer there's at least one kid who regrets it. And I'd bet fewer Cam Spencer's would feel the need to leave if their teammates weren't also leaving. Then there's the kid that gets pushed out to make room for Cam...

None of that is to say the new rule is wrong, but over the long haul I certainly think it makes the fan experience worse.

 

[champs99and04]

FTR, it's not like coaches didn't burn out under the old way (Stevens, Donovan, etc.). I think it's a shame for the Wright's and Bennett's of the world (and maybe Hurley eventually) who built great programs that also seemed to work for the player, but on the flip side there does now exist the allure that you can re-build a program overnight. That's no doubt played a role in attracting aging legends like Pitino (or Belichick if you want to talk football) back to the sport that may not have otherwise have had the patience for a longer build.

And while coaches clearly dislike the NIL/portal overall, most of the guys who retire because of it simply aren't in winning situations. I bet if Providence calls Larranaga in 16 months and tells him he can have $3 million/year in NIL money in addition to a $3 million salary, he changes his tune. Coaches are still coaches. They like a challenge and a new toy to play with like anyone else. What I think you'll see moving forward is quicker burnout and shorter tenures, but I don't think the overall appetite for competing will dissipate as much as we might think.

 

[UCTitleTown]

One less 70+ year-old coach. Leonard Hamilton and Pitino the only others?

 

[ctchamps]

One less 70+ year-old coach. Leonard Hamilton and Pitino the only others?

Kelvin Sampson will be 70 next October.

 

[Huskyforlife]

NGL, the LifeWallet coach crying and quitting the moment his team stops being good is pretty lame. Jim is one of those coaches that works his relationships with the media to massage his image, which we're seeing plainly now.

 

[aceboon]

 

[gsmooth]

Yeah, I always thought of Jim Larranaga as a high class person, and I still think he is. But this tweet hit the bulls eye. Jordan Miller, Norcahd Omier, and Nigel Pack were 3 of his starters he got from the transfer portal due to high NIL. Not to mention Isaiah Wong got paid a humongous NIL package from what I read.

Jim whining about a system he was a great beneficiary of is not a great look.

 

[ucp990411]

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.

What makes him a hall of fame coach? Two final fours? Longevity?

 

[navery12]

I'd be willing to bet that for every Cam Spencer there's at least one kid who regrets it. And I'd bet fewer Cam Spencer's would feel the need to leave if their teammates weren't also leaving. Then there's the kid that gets pushed out to make room for Cam...

None of that is to say the new rule is wrong, but over the long haul I certainly think it makes the fan experience worse.

I get what you're saying, and people are certainly entitled to not like the way the transfer portal works. But in your example, the kid being pushed out to make room for Cam Spencer is not a high major player.

I get why people might like to see and root for a guy like Rahsool Diggins to stay at UConn for 4 years and develop. But this new system lets UConn bring in a PG that's their quality like Tristen Newton, and lets Diggins play at a school at the level he belongs and can contribute. Something that certainly wasn't gonna happen at UConn

 

[yungdowork]

I get what you're saying, and people are certainly entitled to not like the way the transfer portal works. But in your example, the kid being pushed out to make room for Cam Spencer is not a high major player.

I get why people might like to see and root for a guy like Rahsool Diggins to stay at UConn for 4 years and develop. But this new system lets UConn bring in a PG that's their quality like Tristen Newton, and lets Diggins play at a school at the level he belongs and can contribute. Something that certainly wasn't gonna happen at UConn

Back in the day, there were legitimate cases of people losing scholarships because the school they committed to didn't need them anymore. Now those players are free to go explore schools who do want them, keep their full ride, and continue to compete.

The system isn't perfect, but I think a lot of the flaws are overblown.

 

[UConnJim]

This is not a real surprise. Larranaga is 75 years old and I'm sure the rigors of coaching basketball in the ACC wore him down. Sure, the NIL game is disruptive, but he was one of the original disrupters. A really good coach, but his recent record indicated that it was time to go as he wasn't going to do a rebuild.

 

[gsmooth]

What makes him a hall of fame coach? Two final fours? Longevity?

Probably just the longevity and accumulating 744 wins in his career. But I am not saying that with strong conviction by any means which is why I sounded uncertain when I typed it.

 

[gsmooth]

This is not a real surprise. Larranaga is 75 years old and I'm sure the rigors of coaching basketball in the ACC wore him down. Sure, the NIL game is disruptive, but he was one of the original disrupters. A really good coach, but his recent record indicated that it was time to go as he wasn't going to do a rebuild.

I am sure the rigors wore him down, but what really wore him down was his constant losing and the fact his team and his coaching performance were not cutting it anymore. Miami this year has lost 8 of their last 9 games and have a 4-8 record. And if you look at their schedule this year, it's not like they played a bunch of juggernauts, quite the opposite actually.

Miami was 15-7 at one point last year and were thought to be a team with a Sweet 16 ceiling at that point. They proceeded to end their season 15-17 by losing 10 straight. Do the math. Ever since being 15-7, they are 4-18 since. Sure he added Matthew Cleveland and Kyshawn George, but that wasn't enough to compensate for the departures of Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller. But going 4-18 going back to last year shows he didn't have it anymore, which is why the Miami admin and others probably pushed him out.

 

[yungdowork]

Not to derail this thread from Larranaga too much, but this Boston Globe article (alternate access) shows how brutal it can be to be at a school that doesn't want you. The portal is protecting a lot of kids from situations just like this.

"Several other former players told the Globe that [UMass field hockey coach] either did not fulfill her scholarship recruiting offers or encouraged them to leave and give up their aid after they joined the team."

"...athletic directors across the country have received complaints about both male and female coaches allegedly breaking verbal promises or trying to 'run off' scholarship athletes they no longer wanted."

"Peck verbally accepted Weinberg’s offer of a 30 percent athletic scholarship for four years... However, the night before Peck signed her national letter-of-intent, Weinberg asked her to restructure her scholarship..."

 

[AllHusky]

Like everything, there are winners and losers. I’m sure it’s not fun for Larranaga now. Was no doubt a lot more fun when he took a team of hired mercenaries to the final four. It for sure makes the coaching and recruiting job more of a year-round slog though.

It’s always been a year round slog for hoops. Just changes the nature of the “recruiting”. Mora more comfortable due to his pro football stuff. Larrañaga still trying to make us believe he was an altruistic coach of Student Athletes. Many on X have called BS on that. He just expected his team to hug him for the final four experience, and they wanted a raise just like him.

 

[AllHusky]

I just don’t think the current landscape pushes players and coaches to make choices based on coaching and developing people to be the best they can be. Which is not good to the overall game of American basketball if players are making decisions for the best payday and coaches are making decisions based on what can help them win as fast as possible.

A bunch of short cutting very important processes. To me it’s not as much about winners and losses of who is adopting to this toxic environment the best.

Feels like Hurley and staff making an effort to maintain the integrity of the developmental system they have developed. We have a ways to go before we can really drill down on what the rapidly changing environment hath wrought on College Basketball and Basketball in general.

 

[Improviser]

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

Why prolong the pain? Why leave with an abysmal full season record?

Coaching is stressful and coaching into the 70's has to be even more so.

Had a good run.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

And all of that is irrelevant to everything I just said. If you don't see the difference between Steph Curry and Cam Spencer then this is a not a conversation worth having

If a 56th pick in the NBA draft is your example of why this system is good then I don’t think you’re making a good point.

Love what Cam did here, but him and his story is only relevant to UConn fans. Not to the overall game of basketball.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Counterpoint, getting Cam Spencer from Loyola all the way to UConn was great for the game of basketball. But agreed, probably a net negative on the whole.

Don’t think anyone outside of UConn fans care. If he never becomes an impact NBA player then yeah, it didn’t really matter to the overall game of basketball outside of us being able to win a championship with him.

People probably care more about a CJ McCollum upsetting Duke at Leheigh and becoming a lottery pick.

 

[superjohn]

If a 56th pick in the NBA draft is your example of why this system is good then I don’t think you’re making a good point.

Love what Cam did here, but him and his story is only relevant to UConn fans. Not to the overall game of basketball.

Cam was certainly a story outside of just UConn basketball.

 

[JellyBean]

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.

Heck of a run. I hate to see a good coach step down, but they know when it is time.

 

[traitor71]

NIL and the transfer portal have exploded, even from where they were a few years ago. So now you are recruiting all year long, in the film room and on the court all the time, constantly having to manage your kids because of what is an unlimited free agency situation, etc. This seems far more difficult than it used to be, and it is no surprise that an older coach can wear out and just cash in the chips. It just seems like it would take a lot more energy to do the job now, and it was already insanely hard.

 

[Scoe]

I see a lot of excuses for coaches who step down in season or right before the season. Look at Jim Mora who has an unbelievably stacked deck against him and he's handled it with class building a culture. Sure he's going to lose guys to the portal every year, but he is gonna get guys here too so it all goes full circle so long as you can coach and build a culture.

I find it hilarious to see Nick Saban cry about NIL seeing his world closing in where he cant monopolize the system and he quits as a result, granted he is in his 70s and had a nice offer from ESPN.

 

[Scoe]

If a 56th pick in the NBA draft is your example of why this system is good then I don’t think you’re making a good point.

Love what Cam did here, but him and his story is only relevant to UConn fans. Not to the overall game of basketball.

Wrong

 

[navery12]

If a 56th pick in the NBA draft is your example of why this system is good then I don’t think you’re making a good point.

Love what Cam did here, but him and his story is only relevant to UConn fans. Not to the overall game of basketball.

That was my example because we're on a UConn basketball board and I know you don't watch any college basketball outside of UConn. If it makes you feel better I can switch that player to be Dalton Knecht from Tennessee as my example