May 28 is UM MBB Day in Coral Gables
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The City of Coral Gables honored head coach Jim Larrañaga and the University of Miami men’s basketball team on Tuesday, proclaiming May 28, 2013, as “University of Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Day”.
The proclamation was read and presented Tuesday morning to Larrañaga at the Coral Gables commission chambers. Miami athletic director Blake James was also in attendance and the Coral Gables Commission honored the Hurricanes.
“I look at this award like I have all the other awards; I think it’s a team award,” Larrañaga said. “I think when you have a good team and they perform at a very high level, members of the team often are recognized for their contributions. I am both honored and humbled to receive an award like this, especially from our community. It’s so important to me to have the support of the community behind our program.”
Larrañaga and his team have received numerous honors and awards following their record-setting season, but receiving recognition from the community is just as special to Larrañaga as his four Coach of the Year awards.
“When my staff and I first arrived here, one of our priorities was to create excitement in the local community,” Larrañaga said. “The University of Miami is very fortunate to be in a wonderful community like Coral Gables. You want the citizens of Coral Gables to be very, very proud of the programs that they support. I think what the players did this year created a lot of excitement for the local community and allowed us to feed off of that.”
“We had five sell out crowds and a lot of exciting games,” Larrañaga said. “We won the ACC regular season championship at home and cut down the nets in front of 8,000 faithful fans. The community includes our students, our faculty and our administration, as well as the townspeople who came and supported us. It’s a real honor to have the kind of success we had with the kind of support we had.”
A resolution recognizing May 28, 2013, as “University of Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Day” in Coral Gables, Florida.
WHEREAS, envisioned by City Father George Merrick in 1925, the University of Miami has long been nationally recognized for its winning tradition in all sports, competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and
WHEREAS, the University of Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Team continued the tradition of athletic excellence when, for the second time in university history, the team advanced to the National Collegiate Athletic Association “Sweet Sixteen” tournament and concluded the 2012-13 season with a single-season school record of 29 wins, and
WHEREAS, with hard work, determination, unselfish play and team-first attitude, the University of Miami Men’s Basketball Team completed the season as ACC regular season champions, showcasing the teams sportsmanship and competiveness, and
WHEREAS, under the outstanding leadership of Head Coach Jim Larrañaga, who was named Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the Year, USBWA Henry Iba Coach of the Year, and ACC Coach of the Year, and led by All-American Shane Larkin, the Lute Olson National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Defensive All-American Durand Scott, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, the University of Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Team is applauded for continuing the rich history of athletic pride for its more than 160,000 University of Miami alumni, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
That the City of Coral Gables proclaim Tuesday, May 28, 2013 “University of Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Day” and proclaim “It’s Great to Be a Miami Hurricane.”
