Sept. 9, 2011

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Hurricanes men’s basketball Coach Jim Larranaga welcomed Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra onto the University of Miami campus Thursday afternoon.

In August, Larranaga and Spoelstra were both invited to speak at a clinic in Gainesville, then met for lunch and shared the flight back to Miami. Larranaga then invited Spoelstra to the BankUnited Center on Thursday to talk basketball and watch game film.

“My staff enjoyed talking hoops with coaches Erik Spoelstra and David Fizdale of the Miami Heat,” said Coach Larranaga. “It’s always great when you can share ideas with other coaches, especially two men who have just coached in the NBA Finals. The day was very special for all of us.”

Coach L makes his debut with the Hurricanes on Nov. 11 against Tennessee Tech at the BankUnited Center, followed by three more home games against Rutgers (Nov. 15), UNF (Nov. 19) and FGCU (Nov. 22). Check hurricanesports.com for the complete 2011-12 men’s basketball schedule and all stories pertaining to UM hoops.