Miami's Jim Larranaga Wins USBWA Coach Of The Year Award

Miami Head Coach Jim Larranaga

When the college basketball season began who thought that Miami would have a shot at the Final Four?  If you did I hope you put money down on the Hurricanes in the Las Vegas sports books.

The Hurricanes won the ACC Championship Sunday and Tuesday Jim Larranaga won the Henry Iba Award as the national coach of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association of America.

"Coach L definitely deserves this award because of his passion for the game of basketball and his dedication to the team and the University of Miami," Miami point guard Shane Larkin said. "He said he would take this program to the top, and in only year two, we are ACC champions."

Larranaga has made Miami Hurricane basketball relevant in the city with boasts the current and more than likely repeat NBA Champions, the Miami Heat.  Heck Lebron James and Dewayne Wade were big Hurricane fans showing up at the Bank United Center to catch a game. 

Hurricane basketball was a hotter ticket that Heat games when Duke and North Carolina came to Coral Gables.

Every year I have the privilege to vote for the Henry Iba Award and as much as I love what Jim Larranaga has accomplished in two short years at Miami I voted for Jim Crews at Saint Louis U.

Believe me my heart was with Larranaga but couldn't pull the trigger.

Saint Louis U Head Coach Jim Crews

Jim Crews wasn't suppose to be the head coach of the Billikens, it was Rick Majerus.  Last August Majerus took a leave of absence because to health issues and Crews became the interim head coach.

Of course you know those health issues took Majerus' life last December.

All Crews did was lead SLU to the Atlantic 10 Championship with a 27-6 record and a four seed in the Midwest Regional.

The Sporting News recognized Crews as it's national coach of the year last week.  Yet with all the accolades and success it's not guaranteed that Crews will be SLU's coach next season.

Saint Louis athletic director Chris May is not committing to Crews long term but would rather wait and evaluate the program at the end of the season.

The SLU job is much more attractive that it was when Majerus took the gig and there will be many interested candidates.

Perhaps the best man for the job is already there.