Larranaga to miami

by **LMS** » April 22nd, 2011, 8:03 am

George Mason's Jim Larranaga to Miami Fla. Seems like a bad move to me.

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by **DoubleJayAlum** » April 22nd, 2011, 8:35 am

George Mason should be pretty loaded next year. I expect there will be a lot of interest in that job.

by **Jet915** » April 22nd, 2011, 9:49 am

Miami? Wow, is he from Florida? Doesn't seem like a great move to me. Maybe is was $$$$$.

by **Ace Dad** » April 22nd, 2011, 9:53 am

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ji ... story.html

I am in shock and will admit to being "naeive."

This guy was going to make 700K a year and he was a "God" in the DC metropolitan area and loved by all in college basketball. If Jim Larranaga, one of the most successful so-called mid-major coaches will move, there is no such thing as a so-called mid major "destination job"

by **BirdmanBB** » April 22nd, 2011, 10:15 am

My guess is that it is a retirement position. He'll eventually retire and just stay there. I think Bob Knight is trying to do the same thing with UNLV.

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » April 22nd, 2011, 10:17 am

Miami is a tough job. Stan Haith was not able to win there and was close to being fired before be was hired by the Tigers. I am surprised they did not make a run at Pearl, it has shocked me with the number of openings that he has not been named somewhere yet. George Mason is an overrated, commuter school I am not surprised Larranaga would leave. Both VCU and Old Dominion have caught them and it'll just be a matter of time before William & Mary does the same. Makes sense that he would have interest.

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » April 22nd, 2011, 10:20 am

Ace Dad wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/jim-larranaga-leaving-george-mason-to-become-miamis-coach/2011/04/22/AF42LHPE_story.html

I am in shock and will admit to being "naeive."

This guy was going to make 700K a year and he was a "God" in the DC metropolitan area and loved by all in college basketball. If Jim Larranaga, one of the most successful so-called mid-major coaches will move, there is no such thing as a so-called mid major "destination job"

Mark Few at Gonzaga
Stew Morrill at Utah State
Blaine Taylor at Old Dominion
Bob McKillop at Davidson

None of these guys would ever leave. Larranaga had a worse job than all of them. Don't mention 2006, that was flukey. Mason was pretty average in the CAA every year but this one and 2006. I think Larranaga realized that Mason had tapped out as a program.

by **MSUDuo** » April 22nd, 2011, 10:41 am

CaseyGarrisonforPrez wrote:
Ace Dad wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/jim-larranaga-leaving-george-mason-to-become-miamis-coach/2011/04/22/AF42LHPE_story.html

I am in shock and will admit to being "naeive."

This guy was going to make 700K a year and he was a "God" in the DC metropolitan area and loved by all in college basketball. If Jim Larranaga, one of the most successful so-called mid-major coaches will move, there is no such thing as a so-called mid major "destination job"

Mark Few at Gonzaga
Stew Morrill at Utah State
Blaine Taylor at Old Dominion
Bob McKillop at Davidson

None of these guys would ever leave. Larranaga had a worse job than all of them. Don't mention 2006, that was flukey. Mason was pretty average in the CAA every year but this one and 2006. I think Larranaga realized that Mason had tapped out as a program.

Mason has 11 top4 finishes in the CAA. 9 postseason berths. 5 NCAA berths under Larranaga. 62% winning percentage overall, 67% in the CAA. If that is average, I'll take all of it; as would most mid-majors.

Mark Few will not finish at Gonzaga. He is easily the youngest of that bunch and will get an offer he really can't pass up somewhere.

Regarding JL, being 62 he has to be on the back end. Why not head to Miami, make some more money, coach in the ACC, and then retire there? Sounds like a plan to me!

And for what it is worth, those jobs aren't destination jobs. Those coaches did not go into that job thinking "this is the last place I am going to coach". The success they have had since taking the job has probably played a part in deciding to stay there longer or forever.

by **MoValley John** » April 22nd, 2011, 2:04 pm

I was a little surprised to hear that Larranaga went to Miami. Miami is really not a good basketball school. But after reading the story linked in this thread, I think might have an idea as to why. If you fast forward to the end, the final two paragraphs read:

Under that arrangement, Larranaga would incur no financial penalty if he resigned between the end of the season and July 15.

Since the Patriots’ season ended, Larranaga and George Mason had been engaged in talks concerning a contract extension, university officials said. Larranaga also had conversations regarding improved contracts for his staff and enhancements to facilities at the school, and the talks between Larranaga and O’Connor at times got contentious, sources said.

Simple deductions tell you that George Mason was not funding basketball to the level where Larranaga believed it needed to be, as he was fighting for "enhancements to facilities" whatever they may be. He was also battling to get his assistants compensated better. With a contract extension, I have no idea what GM would pay him, I'll take Ace Dad's word that he would make around or over $700,000. And with that, this was the prime time to move on, as he incurred no penalty. He will jump to over a million a year, take the assistants he wants and get them compensated better, all the while having the "enhancement to facilities" that he desires. and if it doesn't work out, well he made more money in getting fired than he would have ever made at GM.

by **valleychamp** » April 22nd, 2011, 2:58 pm

Very surprising move. Miami is a terrible job, IMO. GMU is a better basketball job.

He must just want to retire in FLA.