Jim Larranaga shares what Miami's NCAA Tournament success says about program

Before Jim Larranaga took over as the head coach in Coral Gables, Miami had made the NCAA Tournament six times. The Hurricanes had also only been to Sweet 16 only once in what was Leonard Hamilton‘s final season leading the program.

Now in his 12th season at the helm of the Hurricanes, Larranaga has Miami in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance his tenure.

“It says we’re in very good company because only 16 teams have been able to do that in the last ten years, and all them are the names that, if you had to guess, those are the ones you would guess,” Larranaga said ahead of the Sweet 16. “I think, if you didn’t know that we were one of the 16 teams to make a run to the Sweet 16 four out of the last ten years, you would not have guessed us until maybe you got to guess 100.”

The stats back up that the Hurricanes program has never been stronger than during this period under Larranaga. Miami is currently 27-7 with a 15-5 ACC record that gave them a share of only their third ever regular season conference championship. Larranaga won the team’s first ACC regular season title in 2013 while Hamilton coached the Hurricanes to the Big East regular season title in 2000.

Last season’s Miami team made the Elite Eight for the first time in history, making the run as a 10th seed. The Hurricanes lost to eventual champion and regional No. 1 Kansas in a 76-50 blowout.

It was the first time Miami played a No. 1 seed in its NCAA Tournament history. Friday night will feature their second time as they take on Houston.

“Everybody has looked at the University of Miami as a football program, as a football school, and there’s a good reason for that,” Larranaga said. “Our football program has won five National Championships. And even those who follow baseball know we’ve won four National Championships in baseball. But our basketball program has really been elevated over the last 12 years. My staff has done a fantastic job of recruiting quality young men who play quality basketball, and they’re all graduating. So we’re very, very pleased with the company we’re keeping.”

Larranaga is 12-10 in NCAA Tournaments across his three Division I head coaching spots and 7-5 with Miami.