Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal laid it out pretty well this morning: George Mason coach Jim Larranaga is facing a heck of a choice between remaining where he is or taking the Providence job.
Does he stay in Fairfax and continue to tend to a program that has become exponentially more popular and well-known in the last two years? Or does he leave to take over at his alma mater?
Does he remain at a place where he can continue to contend for league titles? Or does he take a gig at a power conference school that has not won an NCAA tournament game since 1997?
Does he stick around a campus where he is a de facto deity, a man who is the public face of his school thanks to an entirely unexpected Final Four run two years ago? Or does he decide to mix it up with the big boys of the Big East, where six other coaches --- John Thompson III, Rick Pitino, Bob Huggins, Jim Boeheim, Tom Crean and Jim Calhoun --- have been to the Final Four?
Does he, at age 58, decide he is done moving around and will finish his career at Mason? Or does he, at age 58, decide there's one more coaching challenge out there he wants to take on but is simply unavailable to take a swing at while at Mason?
Does he value the security offered by a supportive campus president and a well-regarded AD? Or will he decide bigger (profile, not campus population) is better, especially when Providence is the school involved?
A lot of times, these decisions are so easy a lab rat can make them. No one will blame Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon and whoever else in this year's freshman class when they --- in all likelihood --- turn pro. Who's passing up that sort of coin?
No one's blaming Darrin Horn for parlaying Western Kentucky's run to the second weekend into the South Carolina job.
The list of guys who cashed in on, pardon the term, mid-major success is a long one. Todd Lickliter, Mark Turgeon, Bruce Pearl, Thad Matta, Trent Johnson, Stan Heath, Bill Self --- just this decade, all of those guys parlayed Sweet 16 appearances into power conference jobs.
Not Larranaga, until maybe now. Maybe.
His is not an easy choice. There's no obvious right or wrong course of action. Only hindsight will offer the correct solution.
Larranaga does not enjoy that luxury, nor would anyone else in his situation. So while whatever decision he makes in the coming days might or might not turn out to be right, no one should immediately decry his choice as wrong.
There's just no way for anyone to really know --- and anyone almost certainly includes Larranaga at this juncture.
--- Patrick Stevens
Comments (5)
Coach Larranaga is a classy man, honest, friendly, well read, personable and also happens to be a heck of a basketball coach. As a Mason alum, I would be heartbroken if he left Mason. He owns this program, he is the face of George Mason University.
At this time, the Patriot Center is going through renovation and expansion, he has an incredible recruiting class coming in next year, he has laid a strong foundation for Mason's men's basketball program. More importantly - he is adored at Mason. The campus is undergoing a monumental and historic amount of development and construction. Its on campus population is marching towards 10,000 students. It has a student population in excess of 28,000. This program is on its way up.
While I can understand the sentimental draw of coaching his alma mater - I have to wonder why go to a program that has to put in so much work to get decent? While PC is in the Big East - its the practice squad for a conference with way too many teams. Why leave the big media market of Washington DC to coach at a college with only 5,000 students?
While I will respect any decision "Coach L" makes - I hope he stays at Mason. His real home.
Posted by Chris in Fairfax | April 1, 2008 1:38 PM
If Jim leaves Mason Nation becomes a failed state. Jim's gotta stay. Why leave a place where even if you don't get past the first round of the Dance for the next ten years, you are still hailed a hero. I heard your speach a few years ago that was given to our Management Class and I was deeply moved by it. You are a great person and even a trend setter if I must say so. Don't follow all the others that just use a mid-major as a stepping stone. I understand its your Alma Mater, thats great, but just cheer for them when watching on TV. Don't Go !!!
Posted by RP GMU Alumn | April 1, 2008 1:45 PM
One thing to consider is that Providence should be a favorite for the Big East title next year. They have all their starters returning, and will have the league's top returning point guard back from injury. If JL takes the Providence job, he will be moving into a position that is stacked for first year success. What he does after that first year will depend on him and the school's ability to attract talent.
Posted by Masonite | April 1, 2008 2:07 PM
i would have to say that despite the senior laden team coming back next year and with the addition of sharaud curry back from injury...PROVIDENCE IS NOWHERE NEAR THE FAVORITE FOR THE BIG EAST TITLE...i would peg them to win around 21 or so games and finish around 5th or 6th in the conference and also make a little bit of a run in the NCAA tournament
Posted by providence fan | April 2, 2008 12:32 PM
You guys are both crazy. Providence won 18 games two years ago, and will Curry come back as well as before? Which was not even at the first-team level. The best that team's gonna be is a tough out in an improved Big East. Larranga made a good choice in turning down that job; the Big East is going to spit out the newer coaches over the next 3-5 years, and Providence will be at best at 7-10th in the league.
Posted by pico | April 2, 2008 3:54 PM