Last week Jim Larranaga was named ACC Coach Of The Year and three games later, he’d led his Miami Hurricanes to an ACC Tournament Championship, on the heels of winning the ACC regular season crown.
Today, after earning a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament, days after winning the ACC twice over, Larranaga, head coach over the 27-6 Hurricanes, has been named the Henry Iba Coach Of The Year, as well, presented to the national coach over the year as voted by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
“Jim Larranaga’s story should inspire us all. He gave hope to hundreds of so-called ‘mid-major’ schools by leading George Mason to the Final Four in 2006,” said USBWA President John Akers of Basketball Times. “Then, in just two seasons at Miami, he convinced a bunch of players who had known mostly disappointment to buy in for what has been a dream season. Truly inspirational.”
Larranaga and his players have racked up a few awards this post-season, with Shane Larkin earning Most Valuable Player in last week’s ACC Tournament. Larkin also made the all-ACC first team and was running up for ACC Player Of The Year.
Durand Scott, who had a monster thirty-two point performance against North Carolina State in round three of the ACC Tournament, earned conference Defensive Player Of The Year honors days before the tourney started.