Miami's Jim Larranaga Named Naismith Coach of the Year

Miami Hurricanes head basketball coach Jim Larranaga has been named the Naismith Coach of the Year according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Michael Casagrande. 

The announcement comes just days after Larranaga received AP Coach of the Year honors.

Larranaga, who came to fame in 2006 after leading an 11th-seeded George Mason squad all the way to the Final Four, led Miami to its best record in program history (29-7) in 2012-13, its first ever ACC regular-season title and ACC tournament championship. 

Despite a pair of concerning non-conference losses to Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State early in the season, the Hurricanes came storming out of the gates to begin January, winning their first 13 conference games before stumbling to a 2-3 finish in the ACC. 

Larranaga, who led the Hurricanes to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2000 this spring, is 49-20 at Miami through two seasons. The Hurricanes are 24-10 in ACC play since Larranaga's arrival in 2011 and will no doubt be among the favorites to contend for the conference crown again next season.

Miami defeated No. 15 Pacific in the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament and then survived No. 7 Illinois in the round of 32 before falling to No. 3 Marquette in the East Regional semifinals in Washington.

Larranaga has been a head coach at the college level since the late 1970s and boasts a career win-loss record of 519-354. Miami's 29 wins in 2012-13 were also the most wins in a season for the 63-year-old Bronx, N.Y., native.

Past winners of the Naismith Coach of the Year award include Kansas' Bill Self, San Diego State's Steve Fisher and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.