Miami’s Larrañaga Leaves College Sports ‘Exhausted,’ Like Many Peers

[ad_1]

Jim Larrañaga could handle—and repeatedly thrived—in the old college sports system, where athletes could only get paid under-the-table, even if that meant the Feds might subpoena his text messages. But the 75-year-old University of Miami head men’s basketball coach acknowledged this week that he didn’t have what it takes—at least not at this point in his career—to compete for talent in the unfolding open market.

This, despite the fact that Larrañaga’s 2022-23 national semifinalist team, led by Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack, became an early archetype for the new epoch of booster-funded NIL.

More from Sportico.com

In a surprise announcement Thursday, Larrañaga said he would be immediately stepping down as the Hurricanes’ coach, just two seasons after leading the program to its first Final Four. His current contract, which was extended in May 2023, ran through the end of next academic year. Miami is currently 4-8 this season after winning its first three games.

As a private university, Miami is not forced to disclose its employees’ contracts. However, in the school’s 2023 tax filing, which is public, it showed that Larrañaga earned $2.85 million in annual compensation.

“I’m exhausted,” Larrañaga told reporters in a press conference. “I’ve tried every which way to keep this going. And I know I’m going to be asked a lot of questions but I want to answer them before I am even asked.”

He explained he was “shocked…beyond belief” when, in the wake of the team’s historic Final Four appearance 20 months ago, eight of his players decided to put their names in the transfer portal.

Lamented Larrañaga: “The opportunity to make money some place else created a situation that you have to begin to ask yourself as a coach: What is this all about?”

Larrañaga’s chagrin echoes that of several other big-time college basketball coaches—including Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Syracuse’s…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-larra-aga-leaves-college-221732813.html

Author : Sportico

Publish date : 2024-12-26 22:17:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.