|
Jim Larranaga saw enough promise on the George Mason campus to raise his hands when the school went looking for a coach. |
By JIM McCONNELL
FAIRFAX--George Mason University's men's basketball program was in shambles when Jim Larranaga interviewed for the head coaching vacancy in March 1997.
Mason's flirtation with "Paul Ball"--the frenetic, no-defense-allowed system espoused by former Los Angeles Lakers coach Paul Westhead--had been an unmitigated disaster. The Patriots compiled a 38-70 record in his four seasons, and their streak of consecutive losing seasons stood at seven when Westhead resigned after finishing 10-17 in 1996-97.
Worse yet, there had been several off-court problems involving George Mason players on Westhead's watch. Public opinion of the program was generally unfavorable and the prospects for recruiting were bleak with Maryland, Georgetown and George Washington dominating the local basketball scene.
Larranaga, the eternal optimist, didn't see any of the shortcomings, however. Having played third-fiddle to football and hockey for 11 years at Bowling Green, he visited GMU's sprawling Fairfax campus and decided it was a sleeping giant.
"I came here and saw a beautiful 10,000-seat arena 20 miles from one of the hotbeds of basketball on the East Coast, Washington, D.C. Their budgets were far superior to what I'd been working with, the salaries for my assistant coaches were double what they had been. The league was very good, but if we recruited well we could certainly compete," Larranaga said Tuesday, as his Patriots prepared for tomorrow's NCAA Washington Regional semifinal game against Wichita State.
Those perks certainly were attractive enough for Larranaga, who was an assistant under Terry Holland at Virginia from 1979-86. But that was only part of the equation, something he didn't hesitate to point out when he met with Mason officials during the interview process.
"I told the selection committee that my No. 1 priority is my family, and if I come to George Mason, my team will become like a family," Larranaga said. "They'll function like a family, they'll care about each other, they'll be close to each other, they'll come by my house. There will be a lot of personal relationships that will be developed off the court as well as on the court."
Mason's coaches hadn't stayed in town long enough to form anything resembling a lasting relationship since Joe Harrington bolted for Long Beach State in 1987.
GMU promoted one of Harrington's assistants, Rick Barnes, but he wasn't long for Fairfax. Barnes parlayed a 20-10 season into a Big East job at Providence, and instead of building on the success with a bright, young coach, the Patriots found themselves back at square one.
The program didn't recover. Career assistant Ernie Nestor did well enough with Barnes' players, leading Mason to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth in 1989 while winning 20 games in each of his first two seasons, but went 14-16 in year three and resigned under pressure after consecutive 7-21 campaigns.
There was considerable excitement when Westhead signed on to succeed Nestor. He was a proven winner, having led the Lakers to the 1980 NBA championship and upstart Loyola Marymount to the NCAA's Elite Eight in the mid-90s.
But while the Patriots destroyed all of the Colonial Athletic Association's all-time scoring records, they rarely put the ball in the basket more than their opponents. Westhead's fast-breaking, shoot-early-and-often offense produced no winning seasons and four consecutive quarterfinal losses in the CAA tournament.
Exit Westhead. Enter Larranaga, who had already resurrected Bowling Green's basketball program and believed he could do the same thing at George Mason--if only he could help the Patriots re-learn the value of playing defense.
He's done that, and so much more.
Mason went 9-18 in Larranaga's first season, but hasn't finished with a losing record since. He become the most successful coach in GMU history and expanded the recruiting base, all while laying the foundation for what he wanted his program to look like on and off the court.
"I feel comfortable talking to him about anything. That's one of the reasons why I signed here, because it was like a family," sophomore forward Will Thomas said. "Everyone needs an extension of their family when they're leaving for college. He showed that to me when I came on my visit. When he made his house visit, he talked about how it's like a family down here. It was just something I couldn't refuse."
Larranaga often speaks like a philosophy professor, but wears his heart on his sleeve more like a preacher. He thinks of his players like his sons, frequently breaks bread with them at his Fairfax home, and recognizes that his duties don't end when he walks off the Patriot Center's polished hardwood floor.
"My responsibility is to mentor these young men, to teach them about life and basketball. But basketball's just the vehicle. It's certainly not the last stop on their journey. We want to prepare them for life after basketball," Larranaga said.
Larranaga's integrity faced a major test a couple weeks ago, when starting point guard Tony Skinn punched Hofstra's Loren Stokes in the groin during the final minute of a CAA tournament semifinal in Richmond.
The officials missed the incident and didn't call a foul, but Larranaga immediately benched Skinn for the final 55 seconds--even though George Mason trailed by just four points at the time and could've used Skinn's outside shooting prowess.
Larranaga drew widespread praise when he recommended that Skinn be suspended for the Patriots' next game, whether it be in the NCAA tournament or the NIT. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Larranaga's bold action gave him chills.
Larranaga's reward came a week later, when the NCAA tournament selection committee made George Mason the first CAA team to receive an at-large bid since Richmond in 1986.
The Patriots made the most of the opportunity, shocking the world with consecutive victories over national powerhouses Michigan State and North Carolina.
Suddenly, a team that hadn't even won an NCAA tournament game finds itself in the Sweet 16, and an affable coach gets to enjoy a hard-earned moment in the spotlight.
"Quite honestly, I envisioned this nine years ago," Larranaga said.
Nobody else did. Most of Larranaga's current players had never even heard of George Mason when he took the job, but they'd run through brick walls for their coach.
"It's the way he treats the players. The way he reacts to us, that's the way we play on the court. That's why he's had so much success," forward Sammy Hernandez added.
Added senior guard Lamar Butler: "He's such a confident coach. He believes in himself and he believes in us. That's where we get our confidence from."
Larranaga has been the picture of relaxed confidence since the opening minute of George Mason's tournament opener against Michigan State. He has repeatedly encouraged his players to soak up the experience and not get caught up in the pressure of the Big Dance.
Following Tuesday afternoon's workout, George Mason's coaches and players engaged in a spirited game of baseball on the Patriot Center floor. Yes, you read that right--basketball players pitching and hitting and chasing line drives, risking injury less than 72 hours before the most important game of their lives.
It certainly wasn't a scene you'd expect to see at places like Michigan State or North Carolina, basketball factories whose coaches are treated like kings and paid like CEOs.
But then, Michigan State and North Carolina have already packed up their equipment until next season. George Mason is still playing. And in the middle of it all, Larranaga just can't stop smiling.
To reach JIM McCONNELL:
Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. REGIONAL |
