Men’s basketball coach Larranaga among 10-person class inducted into UM Sports Hall of Fame
The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame is comprised of 354 members, and Jim Larranaga, men’s basketball’s all-time winningest coach, is now one of them.
More than 450 people packed the Watsco Center, home to the Hurricanes’ men’s and women’s basketball programs, Thursday night for the 53rd UM Sports Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremony. The event celebrated 10 honorees and was hosted on UM’s campus for the first time in its history.
Carpet padded the hardwood floor of the basketball arena while orange and green lights above center stage illuminated the many notable guests in attendance, including women’s tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews, athletic director Dan Radakovich and former UM president Donna Shalala. Former inductees were also present, wearing their golden UM Sports Hall of Fame jackets.
“[The banquet] is so important to the University and the history and heritage of UM athletics,” Radakovich said. “To be able to get into the UM Sports Hall of Fame — I mean you’re in a fraternity that is just second to none as it relates to some of the great athletes that have passed through the institution.”
It seemed only fitting that Larranaga was honored one month after leading the Hurricanes to their first Final Four in program history. Miami upset college basketball powerhouses Houston and Texas in the NCAA Tournament — seeded No. 1 and No. 2, respectively — en route to claiming the Midwest Regional crown. The Canes finished the year third in the USA Today Coaches Poll; their highest ranking of all time.
Larranaga also picked up his 700th win as a head coach in November with a 74-64 victory over his alma mater, Providence. Along with Larranaga, former 27-year golf coach Lela Cannon was the only other coach inducted. She guided UM golf to 17 NCAA tournament appearances and a national championship.
Seven athletes made up the 2023 class, including Kevin Brown (baseball), David Gil (baseball), Aaron Moser (track and field), Doris Glenn Easterly-Richards (diving), Todd Sievers (football), Willie Smith (football) and Riquna Williams (women’s basketball). Additionally, longtime athletic trainer Vinny Scavo, who currently serves as the associate athletic director for athletic training was honored, along with Larranaga and Cannon.
Each inductee receives an exclusive Hall of Fame jacket, a plaque and a Hall of Fame ring.
The overwhelming theme of the night was gratitude, with some inductees trying — and sometimes failing — to hold back tears while giving their speeches. Gil, who referred to the Canes baseball team back in the day as “the Yankees of college baseball” in his speech, reflected on good times and said he was humbled by the spectacle.
Smith, a consensus first-team All-American tight end at Miami, has been gleaming ever since the 2023 class was announced in October.
“It’s a new experience; I don’t know if I’ve fully grasped it yet,” Smith said. “I’ve been on Cloud 9 ever since they told me four months ago.”
A silent auction was held for several items that included an Ed Reed autographed UM/Baltimore helmet, a 1985 national championship 30-year reunion signed poster and a basketball signed by NBA and UM Hall of Famer Rick Barry. Two 2023 Miami team signed basketballs, complete with a Final Four case, were auctioned off following dinner for $2,400 each.
The inductees then gave their speeches one-by-one, solidifying themselves in the annals of Miami Hurricanes history.
