Jim Larranaga has indeed decided to leave George Mason and become the head coach at the University of Miami. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish is reporting that he has agreed to a contract in principle and will officially be announced as the new Miami head coach shortly.
The move is a shocking one locally because Larranaga has turned down offers from high-major programs arguably more prestigious than Miami in the past. However, talks with Miami advanced throughout the day Thursday, and evidently it is happening.
Larranaga's new deal with Miami is expected to be worth over $1 million annually, according to Parish. Larranaga was paid just over $700,000 this season, according to a USA Today report. That was the most in the CAA until VCU gave Shaka Smart a new contract that pays him $1.2 million per season. There were reports that Larranaga was not pleased that his assistant coaches did not receive raises on their salaries.
George Mason will now likely have to open up a national search to find a replacement for Larranaga. Larranaga coached the Patriots for 14 seasons, garnering a winning record 13 times and reaching five NCAA Tournaments. Whoever takes over for Larranaga will have a loaded team next season, with four returning starters and only one key departure in Cam Long.