Jim Larranaga stepped down as coach of the Miami Hurricanes, effective immediately, on Thursday.
“After more than fifty years in college coaching, it is simply time,” Larranaga, 75, said. “There is never a great moment to step away, but I owe it to our student-athletes, our staff and the University of Miami to make this move now when my heart is simply no longer in the game and I owe it to Liz, Jay, Jon, and my grandchildren to be a greater part of their lives.
“The university needs a new leader of the program, one who is both adept at and embracing of the new world of intercollegiate athletics. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Hurricane family and to represent this world-class institution. Most importantly, I have been so blessed to have coached the hundreds of young men who chose to wear the UM jersey and who have gone on to flourish in their respective journeys. I will always be a Cane.”
Miami named Bill Courtney as the interim coach for the rest of the season. He went 60-113 as the head coach at Cornell from 2010-16 before joining Larranaga’s staff in 2019.
Larranaga led the Hurricanes to their first Final Four in school history in 2023, losing to eventual champion UConn in the semifinals — but Miami has failed to turn that run into any significant momentum.
The Hurricanes are off to a 4-8 (0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) start this season as the grueling portion of the schedule is set to begin. Miami finished 15-17 last season, ending the campaign on a 10-game losing streak.
The Miami Herald reported Larranaga was under contract through the 2026-27 season.
He becomes the latest high-profile coach to step down this decade amid a changing landscape in college sports, following the likes of Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Jay Wright (Villanova), Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Tony Bennett (Virginia).
In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Larranaga admitted that new wrinkles such as players receiving name, image and likeness money had soured him.
“After we went to the 2023 Final Four, eight players wanted to transfer or seek better NIL deals,” he said. “They told me they loved it at Miami, but wanted to seek a better deal.”
Larranaga has a career record of 716-483 as the head coach at Miami (274-174, beginning with 2011-12 season), George Mason (273-164, 1997-2011) and Bowling Green (169-145, 1987-97).
He also took George Mason to the Final Four in 2006. He leaves Miami as the only coach in NCAA history to win at least 100 conference games at three Division I schools.
He was named Coach of the Year in 2013 after guiding the Hurricanes to a 29-7 record. They lost in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament to Marquette.
Larranaga is the winningest coach in Miami history and was in his 14th season. The Hurricanes made six NCAA Tournament appearances under Larranaga, advanced to the Sweet 16 twice and won two ACC regular-season titles.
“It is hard to fully articulate just what Jim Larranaga has meant to the University of Miami,” university president Joe Echevarria said in a news release. “His contributions go well beyond the wins, the championships and the Final Four run in 2023. He has elevated our athletics program and increased the visibility of our institution by championing our educational mission. Perhaps most importantly, he has recruited tremendous young men to Coral Gables who earned their degrees and who impacted the community, and we are grateful for his service.”
The Hurricanes don’t play again until New Year’s Day, when they will visit Boston College (7-5, 0-2) to resume the ACC portion of the season.
–Field Level Media
