Happy Retirement, Coach L

[Patriotsince81]

The history of Mason basketball is very pedestrian. In the 31 seasons prior to Coach L we had 1 NIT (85-86) appearance and 1 NCAA (88-89) appearance. During his tenure we had 5 NCAA appearances and 3 NIT appearances. Since his departure we have had 0 NIT and 0 NCAA appearances. Jim Larranaga is and was a class act in every regard and led us to more success than all the other coaches combined. He was also a model ambassador for the university.

In my mind he is deserving of some kind of recognition, whether it be a statue or the court being named for him. He represented the university with class and put us on the basketball map nationwide.

"I’m exhausted," Larranaga said during his press conference. When citing his recent run in March Madness with the Hurricanes, he added: "What shocked me beyond belief, was after we made the Final Four, eight of my players said they were gonna leave."

Larranaga also confirmed that none of the players who wanted to leave were unhappy at Miami or against his coaching methods, but wanted to seek opportunities elsewhere. "The opportunity to make money somewhere else created a situation that you had to ask yourself as a coach: What is this about?" Larranaga added. "The answer is that it’s become professional."

The last quote is a frustration that I share and struggle with. College kids today are no longer student-athletes. They're pros. One frustration for me is that NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL players can't pick up and leave every year. They sign contracts and are bound to them. If they want to move they have to wait for their contact to expire or ask for a trade. Yet, college kids can go whenever and wherever they want and as often as they want? The system is broken and the game is suffering. Reform is needed now.

Due to the portal and NIL the game has lost legendary coaches in recent years. Add one more to the list.........

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

Duke and Jon Scheyer is not having any issues with NIL and the current landscape of college basketball.

 

[Pablo]

Jim Larrañaga Learned the Hard Way: When the Money Stops, So Does the Winning

Miami coach Jim Larrañaga retired unexpectedly on Thursday, but his complaints about the influence of money in college sports fell flat.

www.hoopshq.com

 

[NewPatriot]

View: https://youtu.be/NOLk-QKTfbI?si=Fn-j9jnCU668wsx6


Larranaga's retirement speech is erielly similar but less dramatic version of Nick Nolte speech in "Blue Chips". Coach L's speech hits most of the same themes

 

[GMUgemini]

Duke and Jon Scheyer is not having any issues with NIL and the current landscape of college basketball.

Miami basketball is not Duke, nor is Duke football Miami.

And let’s not forget Miami’s “billionaire” benefactors company took a massive nosedive in valuation recently.

 

[psyclone]

Miami basketball is not Duke, nor is Duke football Miami.

And let’s not forget Miami’s “billionaire” benefactors company took a massive nosedive in valuation recently.

Background details from August of this year:

'NIL King's' Financial Woes Threaten UMiami Sports Future

John Ruiz, once hailed as the 'NIL king' of University of Miami sports, is now entangled in a deepening financial crisis. This crisis, if not resolved, could si

www.si.com

 

[Old Man]

Maybe, maybe not, but let's take the rose colored glasses off. He was very hypocritical in his farewell comments. NIL and the portal are what bought him his elite 8 and and final four. Now that the NIL money at Miami is more scarce and he is struggling mightily, he decided to blame his leaving on that.

Another place where he was hypocritical is when he said: "But the opportunity to make money someplace else created a situation that you need to begin to ask yourself as a coach, what is this all about?" Isn't that exactly what he did to us in going to Miami? So it is OK for him to do it, but not for the players to do it?

I agree with almost everything you said here. While I don't disagree with it, ut the part about becoming a destination is just not very realistic short of us finding a billionaire donor that can elevate our funding of facilities, salaries and NIL to a P5 level.

I would be fine with honoring him in our Hall of Fame wherever/whenever that appears. I'd be fine with a small bust somewhere. Going further than that to me feels like we are trying to rekindle a relationship where the other party has told us long ago they are no longer interested. He has been at Miami almost as long as he was at Mason and he says things like "'It's still all about The U,'. We need to stop looking like the desperate Ex. Short of him donating millions to Mason, I am vehemently against naming the court after him or trying to hire him in some capacity, especially since it is very unrealistic in the first place.

I'm not a fan of anything more for CJL that what gmubrian suggested. It would be one thing if he gave us a game or three or more while at the U, but he never did.

Also while at Mason, he worked and argued for the big schools playing the mid majors, but when he went to the show, it was like he forgot about all that and did what all the other big guys do ... nothing except write checks for the sub 300 teams to come to Miami for a pummeling (ok, this might not be 100 accurate, but we never got a game with them, so I'm bitter about that).

Anyway. It's good. He deserves his kuddos from basketball writ large, and from Mason for the success he had with us, but let's not go overboard.

 

[Verdad]

I'm not a fan of anything more for CJL that what gmubrian suggested. It would be one thing if he gave us a game or three or more while at the U, but he never did.

Also while at Mason, he worked and argued for the big schools playing the mid majors, but when he went to the show, it was like he forgot about all that and did what all the other big guys do ... nothing except write checks for the sub 300 teams to come to Miami for a pummeling (ok, this might not be 100 accurate, but we never got a game with them, so I'm bitter about that).

Anyway. It's good. He deserves his kuddos from basketball writ large, and from Mason for the success he had with us, but let's not go overboard.

You are spot on with their OOC scheduling - that was definitely hypocritical. And they lost two of those buy games this year.

 

[gmubrian]

while at Mason, he worked and argued for the big schools playing the mid majors, but when he went to the show, it was like he forgot about all that and did what all the other big guys do ... nothing except write checks for the sub 300 teams to come to Miami for a pummeling (ok, this might not be 100 accurate, but we never got a game with them, so I'm bitter about that).

Glad you brought this up. I have been trying to find a quote from him denigrating mid-majors shortly after he took the Miami job. I haven't found it yet but here is one representative of his sudden change in attitude/logic after taking the Miami job:

Larranaga said:
“I would say this, having been at the mid-major level for 25 years, and I still follow that closely, this has been a year where the non-conference performance of the high majors far exceeds what the mid-majors were able to do.”

Analysis that went with the quote at the time:

"What makes Larranaga’s comments even more puzzling is that 12 schools that would be considered mid-majors rank among the top 35 of the RPI. His Hurricanes haven’t exactly been stellar against top competition. Miami is 1-6 versus teams ranked in the RPI top 50."

Miami Basketball: Jim Larranaga's Comments Regarding Mid-Majors Upsets Many

First-year Miami coach Jim Larranaga created something of a firestorm this week with his comments regarding mid-majors and the NCAA tournament ...

bleacherreport.com

 

[Jack Strop]

The history of Mason basketball is veryThe last quote is a frustration that I share and struggle with. College kids today are no longer student-athletes. They're pros. One frustration for me is that NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL players can't pick up and leave every year. They sign contracts and are bound to them. If they want to move they have to wait for their contact to expire or ask for a trade. Yet, college kids can go whenever and wherever they want and as often as they want? The system is broken and the game is suffering. Reform is needed now.

Absolutely. There were, and still are, practically no rules for college "free agency". There is no balance of power between the schools and the student-athlete—the student holds ALL the power and the school holds ALL the risk. Some times the student-athlete improves his/her lot, some times not. The school is left scrambling to fill yet another roster hole. Nothing fair 'bout that.

So what happens now?
• Contracts?
• Salary cap?
• Blockbuster trades?
• Holdouts?
• Arbitration?
• Unions?
• Strikes?
• Lockouts?
• Picket lines?
• Scabs?

Is there a better model out there? Currently, there is no semblance of a system or organization. Karl Marx is smiling with delight... somewhere.

 

[FlPatriot]

So he is fine stealing Nigel Pack from Kansas State, but when it happens to him turnover is a problem. That is the very definition of hypocritical.

I think he’s had an opportunity to look thoughtfully at the big picture and simply said no thanks.

 

[jessej]

Just my opinion
Honor Coach L on a Saturday game next season against a weak opponent

Pregame ceremony
1) on the court put a large floor decal/sticker in his honor near the home bench
2) get a t-shirt sponsor and have t shirts printed side 1 thank you coach L, backside - overall record, league championships and post season appearances
3) Coach L bobble head giveaway
4) gift him a framed Mason Jersey of his era or of the final 4 team
5) invite all players who played for him and they stand behind him during the ceremony
6) gift a mason formal green jacket
7) halftime video tribute
8) make sure EBA is a near sellout
9) win the game
10) post game formal banquet
11) at announcement of starting lineups all players run to him and shake his hand
12) post game win - all players go and shake his hand

 

[GMU79]

Maybe, maybe not, but let's take the rose colored glasses off. He was very hypocritical in his farewell comments. NIL and the portal are what bought him his elite 8 and and final four. Now that the NIL money at Miami is more scarce and he is struggling mightily, he decided to blame his leaving on that.

Another place where he was hypocritical is when he said: "But the opportunity to make money someplace else created a situation that you need to begin to ask yourself as a coach, what is this all about?" Isn't that exactly what he did to us in going to Miami? So it is OK for him to do it, but not for the players to do it?

I agree with almost everything you said here. While I don't disagree with it, ut the part about becoming a destination is just not very realistic short of us finding a billionaire donor that can elevate our funding of facilities, salaries and NIL to a P5 level.

I would be fine with honoring him in our Hall of Fame wherever/whenever that appears. I'd be fine with a small bust somewhere. Going further than that to me feels like we are trying to rekindle a relationship where the other party has told us long ago they are no longer interested. He has been at Miami almost as long as he was at Mason and he says things like "'It's still all about The U,'. We need to stop looking like the desperate Ex. Short of him donating millions to Mason, I am vehemently against naming the court after him or trying to hire him in some capacity, especially since it is very unrealistic in the first place.

As much as I like coach L, I don't think the court should be named after him. I would go with coach Linn before anyone else.

 

[ProfessorCFK]

As much as I like coach L, I don't think the court should be named after him. I would go with coach Linn before anyone else.

Linn already has the Linn Gymnasium at the RAC and was recently inducted into the Mason Recreation Hall of Fame. Amazing person - I wish I had the chance to meet him.

 

[psyclone]

Feinstein's column, most of which has been said elsewhere but adds a dash of local perspective .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/12/27/jim-larranaga-retires-nil-agents-transfers/

 

[Old Man]

Glad you brought this up. I have been trying to find a quote from him denigrating mid-majors shortly after he took the Miami job. I haven't found it yet but here is one representative of his sudden change in attitude/logic after taking the Miami job:

I wasn't saying CJL denegrated mid majors. I only said he pined for the big teams to play MMs when at Mason, but didn't give MMs or Mason a game when he had the chance.

 

[Old Man]

Linn already has the Linn Gymnasium at the RAC and was recently inducted into the Mason Recreation Hall of Fame. Amazing person - I wish I had the chance to meet him.View attachment 2519

I had Coach Linn for 2 classes, a PE class and then a 300 level class called "The Psychology of Sport and Coaching" or something like that. First day of class he opened the sports section of the Washington Post and told us this was our textbook.

 

[GMU79]

Linn already has the Linn Gymnasium at the RAC and was recently inducted into the Mason Recreation Hall of Fame. Amazing person - I wish I had the chance to meet him.View attachment 2519

Thanks! I didn't know that!!

 

[2011WinOverVillanova]

"Maybe one day we'll name the court after Him He deserves it" - Chris Fleming on the ESPN broadcast.

 

[tblack33]

GMU > Miami