Jim Larranaga Replacements: 5 Miami coaching candidates explored over interim HC Bill Courtney

Jim Larranaga shocked the college basketball world by announcing his immediate retirement from the sport. The 75-year-old seemed to hint that the current NIL scene forced him to step down as the head coach of Miami's men's basketball program after 13 seasons at the helm.

Larranaga led the Hurricanes to their first and only Final Four apperance in 2023, and did the same with George Mason 17 years before that.

While associate head coach Bill Courtney will be promoted to interim head coach for the rest of the season, Miami's Athletic Director, Dan Radakovich revealed the program will embark on a nationwide search to find a permanent replacement for Jim Larranaga, who will take over from the 2025-26 season.

Here's a closer look at five potential candidates who could fill that void.

5 potential replacements for former Miami head coach Jim Larranaga

#5. Chris Caputo

Chris Caputo has made an instant impact at George Washington since taking over as the program's head coach in 2022. Last season, Caputo became the fastest to 30 wins in program history in over 30 years, achieving the feat in just 49 games. He has also developed a knack for improving freshman recruits, as their side was one of the youngest last season.

Prior to his stint at the Revolutionaries, Caputo served as the associate head coach of Miami from 2015-2022 under Jim Larranaga, which could give him the edge as a potential replacement.

#4. Kimani Young

Kimani Young has served as an assistant at FIU and Minnesota under Richard Pitino before Dan Hurley added him to his staff at UConn in 2018. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2020, and was a key part of the Huskies' success in winning successive national championships in the last two seasons.

While it may seem a gamble to appoint someone without experience as a head coach, Young's experience in the Huskies' setup make him a reasonable candidate for the big job in Coral Gables.

#3. Anthony Grant

Anthony Grant has achieved immense success as the head coach of Dayton. In 2019-20, the Flyers set a new program record for most wins (29), and finished the season as the third-ranked side in the nation and was named consensus National Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Prior to his stint with the Flyers, Grant spent two years as part of the Oklahoma City Thunder's coaching staff, and four players, including Obi Toppin, have made it to the NBA.

#2. Archie Miller

Archie Miller has immense head coaching experience, being at the helm of Dayton, Indiana and now Rhode Island for significant periods of time. He enjoyed great success at Dayton, leading the Flyers to consecutive Atlantic 10 regular season titles in 2016 and 2017 and four NCAA Tournament appearances overall. He was also named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2017.

However, Miller's current 32-43 record at Rhode Island could dissuade the Hurricanes given their intent to replace Jim Larranaga with a coach who could take them to the next level.

#1. Sean Miller

While there may be doubts on Archie Miller, there would be much fewer about his brother, Sean Miller, being ready for the job. During his 12-year stint at Arizona, Miller led them to three Pac-12 Tournament titles and five Pac-12 regular season titles and was named three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year thrice.

Across his two stints at Xavier and his lengthy Arizona tenure, Miller has been to the NCAA Tournament on 12 occasions, and he could be a perfect fit at Coral Gables.

Who do you think would be the best man to take over from Jim Larranga at Miami? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.