OT: Jim Larranaga Retiring

[HCCForever]

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.

Fortunately, Jim Mora is experienced in this type of recruiting from NFL days. In addition, he has a positive outlook and is more youthful than other coaches in his age range and below. As many have stated, UConn is lucky to have Coach Mora.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

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.

You’re focusing too much on Cam’s specific story. IMO, a system that facilitates the top talent rising to the top programs and playing together leads to a better product for the average fan, who is not watching mid-major basketball. There are gives and takes, because you lose out on a lot of the Curry or Morant stories, but pretty much all of the top teams recently have benefited a lot from bringing mid major talent up to the high major level.

Now I’m also a bit jaded because we’re a top program and winner in all of this. On the football side, we’re a net loser as most of the time, we’re going to lose our best underclassmen. But still probably a better product for the average fan.

 

[gtcam]

Older people in general, not just college basketball coaches, are more rigid in their ways and less willing to change.

Yeah - take a cell phone away from anyone under the age of 60 and watch the tears fall and the filth come out of their mouths.

 

[gtcam]

Call me crazy, but I'd be reluctant to get involved with someone investigated by the FBI and given the harshest penalty that the NCAA has for coaches.

Yet someone like Sean Miller still sits on the sidelines and sweats like a pig.

 

[Ports21]

I’m considering his late career resurgence the past few years. 2012-2013 was over a decade ago and his second season at the high major level.

No doubt those two teams that went to the elite 8 and final four were his most accomplished and also the most recent. But he was very consistent at Miami. It's not easy to do there, I know people are saying, "Oh well it's all NIL", and you can certainly credit him being a little ahead of the game when it came to that, but he had them consistently in the tourney almost every year. He'll go down as the best coach in school history. And to inform you of how out of touch that admin is, he had to practically beg for the job and he had to send them his wikipedia! They didn't know who he was!

The only other coach who comes near him in Miami history was Leonard Hamilton, who bolted for the NBA.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

You’re focusing too much on Cam’s specific story. IMO, a system that facilitates the top talent rising to the top programs and playing together leads to a better product for the average fan, who is not watching mid-major basketball. There are gives and takes, because you lose out on a lot of the Curry or Morant stories, but pretty much all of the top teams recently have benefited a lot from bringing mid major talent up to the high major level.

Now I’m also a bit jaded because we’re a top program and winner in all of this. On the football side, we’re a net loser as most of the time, we’re going to lose our best underclassmen. But still probably a better product for the average fan.

Who are these top programs benefiting? The blue bloods haven’t went to a final four since this system has gotten going.

There have been no true stars in the sport in years too. A Jimmer, Steph, McDermott, Adam Morrison, etc. were way better for cbb than Kenecht. I’m not sure how todays product is better than the consistent stars we used to get and watch.

These players never needed to go to high majors to show that they can play. That’s the special thing about the tournament. If you’re great, it’ll show.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

No doubt those two teams that went to the elite 8 and final four were his most accomplished and also the most recent. But he was very consistent at Miami. It's not easy to do there, I know people are saying, "Oh well it's all NIL", and you can certainly credit him being a little ahead of the game when it came to that, but he had them consistently in the tourney almost every year. He'll go down as the best coach in school history. And to inform you of how out of touch that admin is, he had to practically beg for the job and he had to send them his wikipedia! They didn't know who he was!

The only other coach who comes near him in Miami history was Leonard Hamilton, who bolted for the NBA.

Ehh, between winning the conference in 12-13 and the E8 team in 21-22, his average conference finish was just under 7th, he made it to the tournament 3 times in those 8 seasons, and made it past the first round once.

I agree it’s a not the easiest job at a school that really doesn’t care about basketball that much, but it just rings hollow to hear him complain about NIL/portal when he was probably the poster child for its effectiveness the last few years.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

The one and done era was fun because you got to watch the future of the sport for a year in school with the KDs, Rose, Wall’s, etc.

People don’t care as much to watch mid major talent live their dream of playing at a high major for a year before fighting for rotation time in the NBA.

This is just hurting basketball in so many ways.

 

[Horatio]

Coach had a great run. Congrats

 

[Waquoit]

The one and done era was fun because you got to watch the future of the sport for a year in school with the KDs, Rose, Wall’s, etc.

I hated the one-and-done era. It was iso ball not team ball. I hate that brand of basketball. Team ball is so much more enjoyable, it's a team sport.

 

[navery12]

The blue bloods haven’t went to a final four since this system has gotten going.

Not to mention literally 2 years ago we had a Final Four of Duke, UNC, Kansas, Villanova

 

[superjohn]

Who are these top programs benefiting? The blue bloods haven’t went to a final four since this system has gotten going.

There have been no true stars in the sport in years too. A Jimmer, Steph, McDermott, Adam Morrison, etc. were way better for cbb than Kenecht. I’m not sure how todays product is better than the consistent stars we used to get and watch.

These players never needed to go to high majors to show that they can play. That’s the special thing about the tournament. If you’re great, it’ll show.

A blue blood won back to back in 2023 and 2024. 2022 the final 4 was Kansas, UNC, Duke, Nova. There's star players every year in college basketball, this year has a bunch of stars and some people think Flagg is the best prospect since Lebron.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

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

He had absolutely no problem with it when John Ruiz was throwing cash around.

 

[Scoe]

So Larranaga has benefited off NIL and the portal and now it's the reason he has stepped down? You can't have it both ways.

 

[Scoe]

Older people in general, not just college basketball coaches, are more rigid in their ways and less willing to change.

Yeah - take a cell phone away from anyone under the age of 60 and watch the tears fall and the filth come out of their mouths.

Things you own end up owning you. It's only after we have lost everything that we're free to do anything.

 

[ctchamps]

For those of us with a modicum of detailed understanding how things have played out at Miami while Larranaga was coach his statement as to why he's stepping down is hypocritical. But most fans have little or no knowledge of events, hate the NIL and thus accept his statement.

His alternative was to state he was given the option of retiring or getting fired. That entities within the power base of Miami were dumping him. It would have been honest but would have been detrimental to all parties directly involved. Furthermore it would have destroyed any goodwill he has with entities at that program. It was prudent of him to maintain those relationships. I don't blame him at all for taking the direction he took.

This process at Miami is so much better than what happened at UConn between KO and our power brokers. This righteous indignation towards Larranaga's hypocrisy is ludicrous in light of how this forum reacted to events during that period of our history.

 

[ctchamps]

Older people in general, not just college basketball coaches, are more rigid in their ways and less willing to change.

Yeah - take a cell phone away from anyone under the age of 60 and watch the tears fall and the filth come out of their mouths.

This negative stereotyping around age is a problem in this forum. Thankfully there isn't any overt behavior like this regarding gender, race, nationality or religion.

And to be fair I'm constantly pointing out to my "senior" friends how wrong it is to negatively stereotype the younger generation.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

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Not to mention literally 2 years ago we had a Final Four of Duke, UNC, Kansas, Villanova

Of course I’m talking about the non-UConn teams.

That happened before NIL and the transfer portal were in full swing. Those weren’t transfer heavy teams I believe. Hence that being one with Jay Wright and Coach K still around.

 

[AllHusky]

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.

I don't believe Alabama is as well resourced as you might expect. Close friend coaches there, and says their alumni base in general not very well heeled. Maybe Saban saw the writing on the wall with regards to Bama not being competitive enough in the NIL market.

 

[superjohn]

Of course I’m talking about the non-UConn teams.

That happened before NIL and the transfer portal were in full swing. Those weren’t transfer heavy teams I believe. Hence that being one with Jay Wright and Coach K still around.

Conveniently leaving out UConn who went back to back in the most dominant fashion ever is really bizarre. Remy Martin had 14 points in the national championship game and Brady Manek had 13/13 and 4 blocks in the national championship game. He was awesome for UNC all season.

 

[yungdowork]

Personally, I'm pretty much in favor of players having as much power as possible. An athletic career for the average D-1 athlete ends before they're 24, they need to leverage it as much as possible. If schools or coaches are mad that players are seeking better opportunities, then they should find a way to provide better opportunities for their players.

Larranaga made almost 3 million a year at Miami, and, according to this tweet that was thrown around a lot at the time, his entire Final Four roster got 2.2 million in NIL payments. It's pretty hard for me to feel too bad for coaches in this situation.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Conveniently leaving out UConn who went back to back in the most dominant fashion ever is really bizarre. Remy Martin had 14 points in the national championship game and Brady Manek had 13/13 and 4 blocks in the national championship game. He was awesome for UNC all season.

Both players were grad transfers who spent 4 years at their previous school (Oklahoma and Iowa State). It wasn’t the current day portal situation.

It’s okay to just say something is fair and not have to reach like this. Outside of UConn because of the system we’ve been blessed to have in place, this landscape has not helped blue bloods at all.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Personally, I'm pretty much in favor of players having as much power as possible. An athletic career for the average D-1 athlete ends before they're 24, they need to leverage it as much as possible. If schools or coaches are mad that players are seeking better opportunities, then they should find a way to provide better opportunities for their players.

Larranaga made almost 3 million a year at Miami, and, according to this tweet that was thrown around a lot at the time, his entire Final Four roster got 2.2 million in NIL payments. It's pretty hard for me to feel too bad for coaches in this situation.

I’m all for player empowerment and them getting paid. What we have right now is just a mess though that shouldn’t be hard to fix.

Have players get paid through the actual spirit of NIL (endorsements, sponsorships, etc.) and give players a one time transfer.

There’s no reason guys should play for 4 different schools in 4 different years. Outside of the money aspect, that generally hurts a players on and off the court development.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I hated the one-and-done era. It was iso ball not team ball. I hate that brand of basketball. Team ball is so much more enjoyable, it's a team sport.

If you didn’t like watching players like Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, John Wall, etc. you just don’t like watching basketball man.

 

[NJHusky]

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

Agree.....don't think any way he should be in the HOF...barely the Hall of Very Good..Buying a trip to the FF with Miami and another with a bogus foul on Hilton? Being good enough to be a coach for 40 years?