Jim Larranaga Officially Named Miami’s New Basketball Coach

Jim Larranaga is officially leaving George Mason to become the new head coach of Miami basketball, per a press release from the University of Miami on Friday afternoon. Miami President Donna Shalala had this to say about hiring Larranaga:

Larranaga leaves Mason after 14 seasons, during which he built the Patriots into not only one of the best programs in the CAA, but also in the nation. He led them to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history in 1999, and to their first Final Four in 2006. Last season, Mason earned the school’s highest ever seed in the NCAA Tournament at No. 8, and Larranaga was named the CAA Coach of the Year for the second time.

Jim Larranaga, the longtime George Mason coach who took the Patriots to the Final Four in 2006, may finally be about to leave for greener pastures. CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish reports that sources tell him Larranaga has had “serious discussions” with Miami about its head coaching vacancy.

Whether Larranaga is leveraging for a better deal from George Mason or on the verge of actually moving to Miami is unclear, both sources said. But the talks are advanced and ongoing, and the 61-year-old New York native has developed into Miami’s top target.Larranaga has been at George Mason since 1997, and has the best winning percentage (.652) of coaches to stay at the Colonial League school for more than one season. (Current Texas coach Rick Barnes has the best record as the Patriots’ coach, having gone 20-10 in the 1987-88 season.)