Unpopular Opinion: Jim Larañaga deserves more respect

[Matias]

I realize this is NOT the right forum to be appealing for someone who is responsible for UConn's most heartbreaking Elite 8 loss (other than 1990 v Duke), but please hear me out since I value some of y'alls opinions.

I just don't understand the overwhelming social media narrative that Jim Larañaga is a hypocritical "quitter" who is abandoning his team mid-season because he doesn't like the transfer portal rules/NIL. I listened to his retirement presser word for word and here are some facts that compel me not to buy into the social media takes:

1) He stayed with GMU for five seasons AFTER taking them to the final four
2) He was with MIAMI for THIRTEEN years, taking them to the final four after ELEVEN (where he got some 2006 payback from us).
3) He's 75 years old, one of the oldest coaches in the game and same age as the goat when he retired. Still coaching at that age is insane.
4) He essentially said the reason he is retiring is that he is exhausted and doesn't have the energy to put into replenishing an entire winning roster every year.
5) He's leaving mid-season but giving the reigns to his 54 y/o assistant head coach protege whom he's worked with for the better part of three decades.

I realize that his complaining about the current NIL / Transfer Portal system during his retirement announcement was not entirely graceful, but does it warrant him being dragged through the mud for it?

 

[storrsroars]

I've always been of the opinion that when you know it's time to go, just go. You're not doing yourself or the people you work with/lead any favors by staying when you no longer have the desire or drive to do the job.

 

[CTBasketball]

I realize that his complaining about the current NIL / Transfer Portal system during his retirement announcement was not entirely graceful, but does it warrant him being dragged through the mud for it?

He is right tho.

 

[Hoophound]

I have no issue with him. Nice guy, great coach. People always talk smack about well known figures. Just comes with the territory. Old coach decided he’s done.

I haven’t followed the story much but if there is any controversy, it is if Miami nudged him out less than 2 years after reaching the FF.

 

[Leebo]

Isn't one thread enough respect for him.

 

[Matias]

Isn't one thread enough respect for him.

My bad, didn't see there was another thread.

 

[auror]

He's free to quit on his own terms. Especially as a 75-year old. Christmas seems as good a time as any to reconsider things.

But yeah his retirement presser was hypocritical nonsense. So tone deaf considering it was dumb on more than one level.

 

[UCLJ0211]

I just can’t get over how much he resembles Jim Boeheim.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I realize this is NOT the right forum to be appealing for someone who is responsible for UConn's most heartbreaking Elite 8 loss (other than 1990 v Duke), but please hear me out since I value some of y'alls opinions.

I just don't understand the overwhelming social media narrative that Jim Larañaga is a hypocritical "quitter" who is abandoning his team mid-season because he doesn't like the transfer portal rules/NIL. I listened to his retirement presser word for word and here are some facts that compel me not to buy into the social media takes:

1) He stayed with GMU for five seasons AFTER taking them to the final four
2) He was with MIAMI for THIRTEEN years, taking them to the final four after ELEVEN (where he got some 2006 payback from us).
3) He's 75 years old, one of the oldest coaches in the game and same age as the goat when he retired. Still coaching at that age is insane.
4) He essentially said the reason he is retiring is that he is exhausted and doesn't have the energy to put into replenishing an entire winning roster every year.
5) He's leaving mid-season but giving the reigns to his 54 y/o assistant head coach protege whom he's worked with for the better part of three decades.

I realize that his complaining about the current NIL / Transfer Portal system during his retirement announcement was not entirely graceful, but does it warrant him being dragged through the mud for it?

How does being 75 make him immune from criticism? He said dumb things, got rightfully dragged for it, and everyone moved on.

In general, I think it's super lame to demand 100% buy in as a coach, but then decide to quit just before conference play starts because the roster you built isn't up to your standard. Plenty of guys have retired recently, cried about the portal/NIL, but didn't catch flack for quitting because it was the off-season. The context obviously matters here.

 

[uh-no]

He is right tho.

he's right....but he also got himself an elite 8 and final 4 by recruiting the exact kind of mercenary with the exact kind of tactics he's complaining about. You hire mercenaries and then are shocked when they behave like...mercenaries? Can't have your cake and eat it too.

In the end, I agree with him....but he benefitted....so it's a bit sour grapes for him to complain.

 

[UCHuskies08]

I don't think you can ding a guy for complaining about a system while also playing within that system. What is he supposed to do, field a worse team to make a point? I don't think the University that pays his salary wants that.

 

[REB1094]

He’s a good coach and a good man. He’s earned the right to control his career on his own word. Let’s be honest. If he didn’t retire, he was still gone, just a lot less ceremoniously

It is also true that complaining about NIL and the transfer portal will never be received well when your team throws bags of NIL money to get people to play for you, and you reached a final 4 just a few years ago because of it

Happy retirement, Coach. Hell of a career

 

[husky8273]

Happy retirement, Coach. Hell of a career

which began under the tutelage of the legendary Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy

 

[Deepster]

How much more respect should he be getting on a rivals message board? The guy was a really good coach for a long time and now he’s retired.

 

[dingaling]

I realize that his complaining about the current NIL / Transfer Portal system during his retirement announcement was not entirely graceful, but does it warrant him being dragged through the mud for it?

Google ai says:

People often talk bad about others because they are feeling insecure about themselves, using negative comments about others as a way to temporarily boost their own self-esteem, often stemming from low self-worth, jealousy, or a desire to feel superior by putting others down; this behavior can also be driven by a need to fit in with a group or simply be a result of boredom or a lack of positive topics to discuss.

 

[Waquoit]

He should have read the story about the Scorpion and the Frog and retired with some grace.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Google ai says:

People often talk bad about others because they are feeling insecure about themselves, using negative comments about others as a way to temporarily boost their own self-esteem, often stemming from low self-worth, jealousy, or a desire to feel superior by putting others down; this behavior can also be driven by a need to fit in with a group or simply be a result of boredom or a lack of positive topics to discuss.

Like most things produced by AI, this is a load of rubbish

 

[EnochRoot]

He's free to quit on his own terms. Especially as a 75-year old. Christmas seems as good a time as any to reconsider things.

But yeah his retirement presser was hypocritical nonsense. So tone deaf considering it was dumb on more than one level.

Huh?

He's not saying athletes shouldn't be compensated. This zero sum crap (and the way the media portrays it) is nonsense. College athletics is full of bag men who aren't ceding their power brokering from the shadows. He pointed out this new era needs contracts and transparency. He's not wrong.

 

[coachn]

Something about the post game in Washington NCAA and his disrespecting UConn and Calhoun. What was that? No class.

 

[TroyHall98]

Something about the post game in Washington NCAA and his disrespecting UConn and Calhoun. What was that? No class.

Agreed 100%. It made blowing out Miami that much more satisfying.

 

[auror]

Huh?

He's not saying athletes shouldn't be compensated. This zero sum crap (and the way the media portrays it) is nonsense. College athletics is full of bag men who aren't ceding their power brokering from the shadows. He pointed out this new era needs contracts and transparency. He's not wrong.

He said "you have to begin to ask yourself what this is all about."

The context of questioning that to himself was 9 months after he bought 3 starters in the transfer portal and then they and 5 others asked for more money after they played well and achieved great things for their school. They just did same thing he did when he doubled his salary after taking George Mason to the F4, but for him, after that run, it made him question the fundamental nature of college basketball. He decided it's actually professional basketball now. Sure, better late than never on that realization Jim. I guess that didn't occur to you when you were making $3 million dollars a year.

And then basically he says he doesn't like the non-pure version of the sport. He got into the game to teach, build relationships, etc. "He's not saying athletes shouldn't be compensated". Well he is saying he doesn't like coaching now that they are, so feel free to read between the lines on that one. He was critical of players asking for what they were worth in a free market. "What? A million dollars? And that being the norm? That was the norm. You talked to the people who expected a million dollars for playing college basketball." Yes, Jim. A million dollars. A lot of players are worth that. Again, you are making $3 million a year to coach them. College sports is still the only sport where the coaches make more than the players, and that is only because the market for the players was historically capped.

He also said he was "all for transferring" but then in his next breath wanted to limit it, essentially only because he would be more effective as a coach if it were limited.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

Isn’t Miami known as one of the higher paying NIL schools in basketball? And didn’t he have his most success in the NIL era with guys that were known to have commanded incredibly high NIL deals?

I honestly know next to nothing about him as a coach or person, but it surely does seem he quit on his guys midseason.