Jim Larrañaga joins exclusive club with latest Final Four appearance
Mar 16, 2023; Albany, NY, USA; Miami (Fl) Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga speaks to the press during first round practice at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Larrañaga has joined a very exclusive club thanks to his latest accomplishment.
Larrañaga’s Miami Hurricanes came back to beat Texas 88-81 on Sunday to win the Midwest Region and advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
While this is the first Final Four in Miami’s history, it’s the second for the 73-year-old coach.
In 2006, Larrañaga took George Mason to the Final Four by beating UConn.
In both Elite Eight wins, his teams came back from down double-digits to win the game.
March 26, 2006: Jim Larrañaga's George Mason Patriots erase double digit-deficit to advance to the Final Four
March 26, 2023: Jim Larrañaga's Miami Hurricanes erase double digit-deficit to advance to the Final Four pic.twitter.com/ZrNaCJMuJK
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 26, 2023
In 2006, George Mason was an 11-seed, while this year’s Miami team was a 5-seed.
This year’s accomplishment helps Larrañaga join Larry Brown as the only two coaches to take multiple teams to the Final Four as a five-seed or worse.
Jim Larrañaga joins Larry Brown as the 2nd head coach to take multiple programs to the Final Four as a 5-seed or worse. pic.twitter.com/vgZCUgYlee
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 26, 2023
That seems to be a pretty good sign of having a great coach.
The Final Four in Houston is now set: Miami will face UConn, while San Diego State will take on Florida Atlantic. It’s exactly as we all saw it coming.
