UM's Larranaga Named Coach Of The Year By Writers
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Hurricanes head basketball coach Jim Larranaga has been named the Henry Iba Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
In just his second year as the head man at UM, Larranaga has guided the Canes to a 27-6 record and the school's first regular-season and conference tournament championships. Miami is headed to the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed, the school's first tournament appearance since 2008.
Larranaga's squad ripped off a 13-0 mark to start Atlantic Coast Conference play before finishing 15-3. Miami is currently ranked fifth by the Associated Press and has climbed as high as number two in the country during this year's magical season.
"Jim Larrañaga's story should inspire us all. He gave hope to hundreds of so-called 'mid-major' schools by leading George Mason to the Final Four in 2006," said USBWA President John Akers of Basketball Times in a statement. "Then, in just two seasons at Miami, he convinced a bunch of players who had known mostly disappointment to buy in for what has been a dream season. Truly inspirational."
Overall, Larranaga has a 517-353 career record spanning 29 seasons as a head coach. Larranaga guided his previous school, George Mason to a Final Four in 2006.
