In the middle of his 14th season as the head coach of the University of Miami men’s basketball team, head coach Jim Larrañaga has decided to step down. In his 14 seasons as Miami’s head coach, he became the winningest in program history, leading the ’Canes to a 274-174 record.
After leading the program to its first Elite Eight and Final Four appearances in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Miami regressed. Last season was rocky, plagued by injuries and ended with a 10-game skid to end the season, and this season seemed to be trending in a similar direction. On Saturday, Miami lost a brutal game in overtime to Mount St. Mary’s to drop them to 4-8 on the season.
With the inconsistencies and constant lineup changes, the 75-year-old Larrañaga had become noticeably frustrated.
“A team I thought would be a great three-point shooting team this year went 5-for-25 from three, and most of the shots were open,” Larrañaga said to reporters after Miami’s loss to Mount St. Mary’s.
In Miami Athletics release, Larrañaga made clear that the struggles of the last two years have taken a toll on him.
“I owe it to our student athletes, our staff, and the University of Miami to make this move when my heart is no longer in the game,” Larrañaga said. “The university needs a new leader of the program, one who is adept at and embracing of the new world of intercollegiate athletics.”
This past offseason, Miami returned just three players from last year’s squad and was forced to retool almost the entire team.
Though his tenure ends on a sour note, he will be remembered for building a culture for what was a less-known program before his time with the Hurricanes.
Before Larrañaga, Miami had only appeared in the NCAA tournament six times and just once in the decade before he arrived. Over Larrañaga’s tenure, the ’Canes made it six times, four times going all the way to the Sweet 16 or further. This includes the Hurricanes’ aforementioned Elite Eight and Final Four runs, the first in program history. He also claimed Miami’s first ACC tournament title in 2013 and the first two regular season crowns in 2013 and 2023. Time and time again, he was recognized for being one of the best coaches in the nation, and he will hold an untouchable legacy at the university.
Miami is expected to turn to associate head coach Bill Courtney for the remainder of the season, as first reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Miami’s first game without Larrañaga will come on New Year’s Day, as Miami plays Boston College at the Watsco Center. Tip-off is at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
