James Larranaga is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and the head coach of the University of Miami men's basketball program. He was most notably the men's basketball coach of
George MasonThe George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represents George Mason University and competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of NCAA Division I...
where he coached the Patriots to 13 consecutive winning seasons and became a media sensation during the Patriots' improbable run to the
Final FourThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
of the
2006 NCAA tournamentThe 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
.
Early life and education
Growing up in
the BronxThe Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, one of six children, Larranaga attended
Archbishop Molloy High SchoolArchbishop Molloy High School is a co-educational, college preparatory, Catholic school for grades 9-12, located on in the Briarwood section of Queens in New York City, thirty minutes east of Manhattan. Molloy currently has an endowment of about $6,000,000 . The school's current principal is Br...
in
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, where he starred on the basketball varsity under coach
Jack CurranJack Curran is an American baseball and basketball coach. Curran is the head coach at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York. Curran has won more basketball and baseball games than any high school coach in the United States....
, graduating in 1967. He went on to play basketball at
Providence CollegeProvidence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, He was the basketball team captain as a senior, 1970–71, leading
Providence CollegeThe Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
to a 20–8 record and a
NITThe 1971 National Invitation Tournament was the 1971 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. 1971 was unique because it is the only time that major rivals Duke and North Carolina have played each other after the ACC Tournament. Eventual ACC member Georgia Tech also made the...
appearance. He graduated as the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,258 points and was the team’s top scorer as a sophomore and junior, being named New England’s Division I Sophomore of the Year in 1969. (Larranaga's time at Providence was recognized with his induction into the Providence College Hall of Fame in 1991.) He graduated from Providence in 1971 with an
economicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
degree, and was selected in the sixth round of the
1971 NBA DraftThe 1971 NBA Draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 29, 1971 before the 1971–72 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
by the
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. He never sought an NBA career, opting instead to go into coaching.
Coaching career
Immediately after graduating from Providence, he took a job as an assistant to
Terry HollandMichael Terrence "Terry" Holland is the Athletics Director and Executive Assistant to Chancellor Steve Ballard at East Carolina University...
at
Davidson CollegeDavidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
, also serving as the freshman team coach. In his five years under Holland,
DavidsonThe Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. The...
won three regular-season
Southern ConferenceThe Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
titles and reached the
NITThe National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
once, and he also amassed a 47–12 record as freshman coach. In 1976, he moved to
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in order to serve as player-coach for a professional club, but only stayed there for one season.
He returned to the U.S. in 1977 for his first head coaching job at
American International CollegeAmerican International College is a private, co-educational liberal-arts college located in the Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts.-History:...
, a Division II program which had losing records in the previous five years. In two years at AIC, his teams had a 28–25 record, including a win against
Northeastern UniversityNortheastern University , is a private, secular, coeducational research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has eight colleges and offers undergraduate majors in 65 departments...
, who was coached by
Jim CalhounJames A. Calhoun is the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. His teams have won three national championships , played in four Final Fours , won the 1988 NIT championship, and have won seven Big East tournament championships...
at that time. In 1979, he was reunited with his former Davidson mentor Holland, who by now had become the head coach at the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Larranaga became an assistant at a program that had begun to emerge as a power in the
ACC-Members:-All-time standings:The above chart only includes statistics for teams while members of the ACC, and it is sorted by total ACC wins.-External links:*...
, arriving at the same time as highly touted freshman
Ralph SampsonRalph Lee Sampson, Jr. is a retired American college and professional basketball player.A 7-foot-4 phenom, three-time College Player of the Year, and No...
. In seven seasons at Virginia, Larranaga was on the bench for an NIT title in
1980-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Illinois 84, UNLV 74...
and NCAA Final Four berths in
1981The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and
1984The 1984 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 53 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1984, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Seattle, Washington. A total of...
.
Bowling Green
In 1986, Larranaga left Virginia for the head coaching job at
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
. In his first season there, the Falcons improved by eight games over the 1985–86 season, finishing 15–14. He went on to record a 170–144 record in 11 years there, and was only the second coach in Bowling Green history to take the Falcons to postseason play in consecutive years (the
1990-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 83, New Mexico 81...
and
1991-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Colorado 98, Massachusetts 91...
editions of the NIT). During his tenure at Bowling Green the Falcons defeated the perennial national powers Kentucky, Michigan State (twice), Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue. In his final season at Bowling Green (1996–97), he led the Falcons to a regular-season co-championship in the
Mid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
and another NIT berth, and was also named the conference's Coach of the Year. He left Bowling Green as the second-winningest coach in school history, as well as one of the winningest coaches in the
Mid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
. One notable NBA player who played for Larranaga was guard
Antonio DanielsAntonio Robert Daniels is an American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-Career:...
, who was selected fourth overall in the
1997 draftThe 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
.
George Mason
Larranaga arrived at
George MasonGeorge Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
in 1997. His first team only went 9–18, but signs of improvement were present. In the 1998–99 season, the
PatriotsThe George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represents George Mason University and competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of NCAA Division I...
went 19–11, won the school's first
Colonial Athletic AssociationThe Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
regular-season title in history, and won the conference tournament to advance to the
NCAA tournamentThe 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St....
. The Patriots would again go to the NCAA tournament in
2001The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
and two NITs in
2002-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Temple 65, Syracuse 64...
and
2004-Semifinals & Finals:...
. The 2004 team was notable as Mason's first 20-win team in 14 years, and also won consecutive postseason games for the first time in school history.
2004–05 season
The 2004–05 team, with three junior starters but dominated by freshmen and sophomores, went 16–13. However, these players would prove themselves the following season.
2005–06: The dream season
The Patriots entered the 2005–06 season as a strong contender for the CAA title. They entered the conference tournament 22–6, finishing in a tie for the regular-season title with UNC Wilmington. Near the end of the regular season, they were briefly ranked in the Top 25 in the ESPN/
USA Today poll, the school's first ranking ever, and were on the brink of making it to the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll. They also narrowly lost to Wake Forest and
Mississippi StateThe Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball program represents Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Bulldogs play in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by Rick Stansbury. As of the 2010 season the Bulldogs are 1272-1056...
, and survived a tough match at
Wichita StateThe Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
in the
ESPNCollege Basketball on ESPN is a presentation of the college basketball television package on the ESPN family of networks. The television network broadcasts games of all the major conferences and many mid-major conferences of Division I NCAA basketball....
-sponsored BracketBusters event.
However, from Mason's perspective, the CAA tournament would not live up to their expectations. The Patriots survived an overtime scare in the quarterfinals from
Georgia StateThe Georgia State Panthers are the athletic teams of Georgia State University. Georgia State currently sponsors 17 NCAA Division I teams.Georgia State University competes with 16 teams in an athletics program at the highest level of NCAA competition . Football and women's sand volleyball were added...
, and then lost to Hofstra in the semifinals. During that match, starting guard
Tony SkinnTony Oludewa Jeffrey Skinn was a college basketball player who was a starting guard for the George Mason University Patriots.-College career:...
hit a Hofstra player below the belt, earning a one-game suspension for his action. Many observers considered Mason to be "on the bubble" for an NCAA bid; some believed that Skinn's suspension would lead the NCAA Selection Committee to leave Mason out of the field. However, the committee put the Patriots in the field, making them the first at-large team from the CAA in 20 years. Some commentators, notably
Billy PackerAnthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
, criticized Mason's entry in the tournament.
The Patriots would enter the tournament as a #11 seed in the
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Regional, facing
2005 Final FourThe 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
participant
Michigan StateThe Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
. They pulled a 75–65 upset, giving Larranaga and George Mason their first NCAA tournament victory ever. Next was a matchup against defending national champion
North Carolina-Recruiting:- Roster :-Schedule:-Team players drafted into the NBA:-References:...
. Prior to the game, Larranaga famously told his players: "Their fans think they're supermen. Our fans know we're
kryptoniteKryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
." The Patriots found themselves in a 16–2 hole, but climbed out of it to win 65–60 and advance to the regional site at the
Verizon CenterVerizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
, about 30 minutes away from their campus.
They next won a rematch with Wichita State, controlling the game throughout and winning 63–55. That put them in the regional final against
2004 championsThe 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
and regional top seed
Connecticut. The Patriots trailed by as much as 12 during the first half, and by nine early in the second. However, they would storm back to make the game close the rest of the way. Larranaga would motivate his team during timeouts by telling his players that the UConn players didn't know what conference George Mason was in. He told them that on this day "CAA" stood for "Connecticut Assassins Association." Mason would win 86–84 in overtime, becoming the first
mid-majorMid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
team to make the Final Four in more than a quarter-century. Their improbable run ended on April 1 in
IndianapolisRCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
when they lost 73–58 to eventual national champion
FloridaThe 2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2005–06 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern...
in the national semifinals.
Larranaga received the
Clair Bee Coach of the Year AwardThe Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award honors the active men's NCAA Division I basketball coach who has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport during the preceding year...
for his accomplishments during this season. Larranaga's overall head coaching record going into the Final Four was 366–273.
2010–11: The Revival
The 2010-2011 season brought great promise for the Patriots. Led by seniors Cam Long and Isiah Tate, the Patriots' campaign started off with mixed emotions as they dropped two games vs NC State and
Wofford-People:*Dan Wofford, American politician*Harris Wofford , U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1991-1995*James C. Wofford , American equestrian*Mike Wofford , jazz pianist...
. From then, the Patriots sparked a seven game winning streak including a key home win in the 'Battle of the Orange Line' versus
George Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. The following four games proved to be a test as GMU traveled to the
University of DaytonThe University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
, played at home versus the
University of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, and away at both
Hofstra UniversityHofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
and at
Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
. After the lowly spell of dropping three of those four, the Patriots became red hot as they went undefeated during the regular season winning 16 straight games including a crucial conference game at
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
. Heading into the CAA tournament, the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll ranked George Mason as the number 25 team in the country, which was their first national ranking since 2006 when they made the improbable run to the Final Four. Senior Cam Long was voted first team all-conference and Coach Larranaga was awarded the coach of the year. GMU would fall from the rankings after a semifinal loss to VCU in the conference tournament.
In the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Mason was assigned a #8 seed and faced off against #9 seed and Big East stalwart Villanova. In a seesaw game, Mason pulled out the victory when Luke Hancock knocked down a late three, and Mike Morrison threw down a last-second breakaway dunk. In the next round, Mason lost to #1 overall seed
Ohio StateThe Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
.
Other Achievements
As of February 2011, his 271 career wins at Mason makes him the winningest coach in the history of both the school and the CAA. He has won CAA Coach of the Year twice, in 1999 and in 2011. The latter award came after the Patriots reeled off a school-record 15 straight wins to finish the regular season, remaining undefeated at the Patriot Center, setting a school record for regular-season wins (25), and securing the #1 seed heading into the CAA tournament.
University of Miami
On April 22, 2011, Larranaga accepted the head coaching position at the University of Miami.
Academic activities
In August 2007, Larranaga was appointed as an associate professor in the GMU School of Management (SOM), specifically in the school's Executive
MBAThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
program. Although his basketball schedule only allows him to teach part-time, he is a frequent presenter in classes on leadership, management, and team development, and also often speaks at SOM-sponsored seminars. He had been a guest lecturer in the SOM since arriving at Mason in 1997.
Personal life
Larranaga and his wife Liz have two sons,
JayJay Larranaga is a former Irish basketball player. He is the current head coach of the Irish national basketball team and the NBA D-League team Erie BayHawks.-Career:...
and Jon. Jim is also usually seen wearing Jordan jumpsuits around campus, and students have become increasingly aware of his "New York" accent. Jay is a member of the
Ireland national team- Performance at Summer Olympics :-Notable players:*Pat Burke – Only Irish-born to have played in the NBA. Played for Orlando Magic & Phoenix Suns...
, and has also played professionally for Italian teams
Eldo NapoliBasket Napoli is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in the city of Naples. For past club sponsorship names, see the list below.-History:...
,
Viola Reggio CalabriaViola Reggio Calabria is the name traditionally given to the main men's professional basketball team from the city Reggio Calabria, Italy. The team colors are black and orange....
(1997–98),
Adecco MilanoOlimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
(2000–2001),
Lottomatica RomaPallacanestro Virtus Roma, also known for sponsorship reasons as Acea Virtus Roma, is a prominent Italian League professional basketball club, and is also currently one of 13 European clubs that hold ULEB A Licenses, which provide their holders with a guaranteed place in the Euroleague. The club...
(2004),
Eurofiditalia Reggio CalabriaViola Reggio Calabria is the name traditionally given to the main men's professional basketball team from the city Reggio Calabria, Italy. The team colors are black and orange....
(2004–2005)) and for French team
ASVEL Lyon-VilleurbanneASVEL Basket or ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne is a French professional basketball team located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, France. The club, which is the basketball section of the ASVEL multi-sport club, competes in the French Pro A league. The club's home games are played at...
(1999–2000). In February 2008, Jay was named head coach of the Ireland men's senior national basketball team. Jon played for his father at Mason from 1999 to 2003, and has played professionally in Spain for Menorca and in Italy for
Benetton TrevisoPallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...
(2003) and
Euro RosetoRoseto Basket also known as Roseto Sharks and Pallacanestro Roseto 1946 was an Italian professional basketball team from Roseto, Abruzzo, Italy that was established in 1946....
(2003–2004). Currently Jay is the head coach of the
Erie BayHawksThe Erie BayHawks are a 2008-09 expansion team in the NBA Development League. The team plays its home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania.The "BayHawks" name is a reference to Presque Isle Bay, on which the city of Erie lies...
of the
NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. Jon's wife, Elyssa, was deputy director of scheduling in the office of
United States Vice PresidentThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
.
Head coaching record
External links