The Charlotte Hornets have cast a wide net in their coaching search, rounding up several notable candidates as they prepare for a pivotal offseason.
Hornets Receive Permission to Interview Jay Larranaga
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hornets will interview Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jay Larranaga for their head coach vacancy. Larranaga last interviewed to be the Boston Celtics head coach after the team moved on from Doc Rivers in 2013. He’s the son of longtime Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball head coach, Jim Larranaga.
Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga will interview for the Charlotte Hornets’ head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Larranaga has spent three seasons on Ty Lue’s staff after nine years under Brad Stevens and Doc Rivers with the Boston Celtics.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2024
Larranaga’s pedigree aside, as his father is a multi-time Coach of the Year award winner, the 49-year-old began coaching in the NBA in 2012 with the Celtics. However, Larranaga had been the head coach of the G League’s Erie BayHawks (now the Osceola Magic) for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons before being hired by Boston. In his tenure, the BayHawks won 60 games, including a franchise record 32 wins in his first season.
Larranaga also has international coaching experience as he was named the head coach of Ireland’s men’s national basketball team in 2008. Larranaga also played for the team during this time.
In 2018, Larranaga sat down for an in-depth interview with The Bulletproof Musician’s Dr. Noa Kageyama. One of his more interesting quotes may have provided a glimpse into his coaching style:
“So when we’re covering the opponent’s offense instead of a lot of teams will just say, ‘Okay, this is their play called horns and we’re going to walk over this play and this is how you guard it.’ And then it’s, ‘Okay, this is a play that they call fist down and we’re going to walk over this.’
Instead, what we try to do is we’ll take three plays and we’ll say, ‘All right, we’re going to run horns, then we’re going to reverse the ball into what they call fist down and then we’re going to finish with a high pick and roll, something like that.’ Just being efficient with our time and being able to accomplish what maybe one team, it takes them 10 minutes to do, if we can get it done in five minutes, we feel like we’re winning.”
Larranaga also discussed how he goes about motivating players, saying, “… I’ve tried to approach that is just to educate them as much as possible. Share as many different stories of successful people that I’ve known or I’ve read about, or introduce them to…
“…It’s your choice,” Larranaga says, “…but I can give you the tools to be the best version of yourself, to be the best player you can be if you want to.”
Larranaga the Player
A 3-point specialist at Bowling Green, Larranaga’s tied the school’s previous single-season record for made 3s (72) in 1996.
Larranaga went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft. He promptly began a professional career overseas, playing for several teams in Italy and Spain. Larranaga also spent a season with Peristeri in Greece and a season-plus with ASVEL in France. With ASVEL, the first of two French clubs that he would play for, Larranaga was an All-Star. Larranaga’s team would win the 2000 All-Star Game while matched up against a team that featured Stéphane Risacher, father of projected 2024 lottery pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Larranaga has won two championships as a player. In 2005, he won the Spanish National Championship with the Liga ACB’s Real Madrid. In 2006, Larranaga won the Italian Basketball Cup with Napoli.
