Jim Larranaga stepped down as Miami men’s basketball head coach on Thursday, ending a 14-year stint with the Hurricanes. The 75-year-old head coach is nearly two years removed from bringing the Hurricanes to their first Final Four appearance.

Miami has lost eight of its last nine games, touting a 4-8 record to open the season. Larranaga’s abrupt, mid-season decision surprised many. On3’s Joe Tipton reported that players found out the news on social media.

Larranaga’s departure triggers the 30-day transfer portal window for Miami players. NCAA rules allow athletes on a team with a coaching change to enter the portal the day after the change. In this case, Miami athletes can start entering Friday.

According to the NCAA, an athlete who transfers after enrolling at a school cannot transfer during that same year and compete for a new school. Grad students could transfer if they don’t play in any games this fall and be eligible in the spring.

The former Bowling Green and George Mason head coach cited NIL as part of the reason for his retirement.

“At this point, after 53 years, I just didn’t feel that I could successfully navigate this whole new world that I was dealing with because my conversations were ridiculous with an agent saying to me, ‘Well, you can get involved [with a prospective player] if you’re willing to go to $1.1 million,’ and that would be the norm,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.

The college basketball transfer portal is scheduled for 30 days during the spring of the 2024-25 academic year. According to the NCAA, the portal opens for business on Monday, March 24, and closes on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The national championship game will be played on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Athletes would still be given a 30-day window to transfer after a head coach’s departure.

The college basketball transfer portal is starting to mirror the NBA’s free agency. Last spring alone, 1,962 Division I players tested the portal waters. According to college basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawa, for the first time in history, more than half of the points scored in Division I men’s college basketball will be scored by players recruited through the transfer portal, not from high school in 2024-25.

Despite not playing on Christmas Day, the Miami Heat were among the hottest topics.

An ESPN report surfaced before the first game of Butler preferring a trade before the deadline than waiting until the offseason. It quickly became front-page news.

While some feel the Heat should react sooner than later, Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports suggests there is no rush.

Here’s what Skolnick said on his podcast, “Even with what happened yesterday, even with the Shams report, because they have received no offer to this point, because they are comfortable taking this into the offseason and even losing Jimmy for a small asset in a sign-and-trade or even for nothing except for the flexibility under the apron and other cap mechanics that Jimmy Butler’s contract for next year and in the future, because if he opts in, they’ve got to pay him next year. even if they just get that flexibility with his money going away, they are, at least from what they’re putting out there, OK with that. All of that leads to this. What I was told you yesterday from the Miami, “we feel no pressure to do anything.”‘

Skolnick relayed the Heat are being patient because they can. No need to move too fast. The trade deadline is still a month away.

“So, in other words, all of this noise, the Shams that ruined Christmas and Hannukah and a few other holidays that people were celebrating yesterday, it did not move the Heat,” Skolnick said.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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David Beckham suggested he had more than one string to his bow on Christmas Day by joining Santa Claus for a festive singalong. 

The former Manchester United and England ace pulled out all the stops for his first family Christmas at their lavish £60million home on Miami waterfront. 

And that included a surprise visit from Santa himself, who arrived with a sackful of presents before engaging Beckham, 49, in a lighthearted rendition of Jingle Bells. 

Wearing a festive hat, the ex footballer later carved the turkey that had been lovingly prepared by his mother, Sandra, for the big day. 

Sharing photos of the moment with Instagram followers, he wrote: ‘Traditional cutting of the turkey that mums been cooking all day!! love you all so so much Happy Christmas.’ 

David is in Miami with wife Victoria, 50, their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper, and an assortment of selected family members over the Christmas period. 

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The retired footballer ended the day cuddling up to his wife, with the pair in matching pyjamas as they signed off with a message for their followers

But they are without eldest child Brooklyn, who instead spent the day with actress wife Nicola Peltz and her family. 

The retired footballer – now co-owner of MLS franchise Inter Miami – ended the day cuddling up to his wife, with the pair in matching pyjamas as they signed off with a message for their followers. 

Taking to Instagram, Victoria wrote: ‘Hope everyone had a wonderful day!! Kisses from all of us.’ 

On Christmas Eve, the couple showed off their glamorous sides as they dressed to the nines.

The former Spice Girl looked incredible in a long black silk dress while the former footballer cut a dashing figure in black suit as they posed on a sweeping staircase.

Captioning the post, she wrote: ‘Happy Christmas! Kisses from all of us xxxxxx @DavidBeckham @BrooklynPeltzBeckham @RomeoBeckham @CruzBeckham #HarperSeven.’ 

While later in the evening, her husband slipped into his pyjamas and a Santa hat as he showed off his drink-making skills.

The former Manchester United and England ace pulled out all the stops for his first family Christmas at their lavish £60million home on Miami waterfront

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Wearing a festive hat, the ex footballer carved the turkey that had been lovingly prepared by his mother, Sandra, for the big day

On Christmas Eve, Victoria and David showed off their glamorous sides as they dressed to the nines 

Victoria filmed him shaking a cocktail maker, as she quipped: ‘So I’m glad you learned something from Tom Cruise. What are you making me?’

David smiled and teased: ‘Making you something very exotic’ before pouring her a tasty-looking drink.

The fashion designer praised: ‘My favourite. Oh look at that! I love that. Love you’.

Meanwhile, Romeo, 22, also took to Instagram to share photos from the festivities, including the family sat at the dining table enjoying a roast dinner. 

While another snap showed him sharing a sweet moment with his younger sister Harper, 12, with the siblings hugging. 

He later added another photo posing shirtless in a Santa hat on board the family’s luxury £5million superyacht Seven for a pre-Christmas cruise.

The yacht is aptly named Seven, after former England player David’s shirt number, while it’s also the middle name of Harper.

Youngest son Cruz, 19, showed off his love of music as he shared photos of him playing guitar and then rocking out with a band.

While later in the evening, David slipped into his pyjamas and a Santa hat as he showed off his drinkmaking skills, as Victoria quipped: ‘I’m glad you learned something from Tom Cruise’

Meanwhile, Romeo, 22, also took to Instagram to share photos from the festivities, including the family sat at the dining table enjoying a roast dinner

While another snap showed him sharing a sweet moment with his younger sister Harper, 12, with the siblings hugging

He later added another photo posing shirtless in a Santa hat on board the family’s luxury £5million superyacht Seven for a pre-Christmas cruise

While his older brother Brooklyn is a budding chef and photographer and Romeo has pursued a career in football, Cruz has chosen to get into singing.

He has been releasing music since 2016 and is now said to be launching a career. 

He has reportedly collaborated with Ed Frewett, known for working with Little Mix and One Direction, and producer Fred Ball, who has collaborated with Beyoncé and Rihanna.

Cruz donned a Santa hat to get into the full festive cheer as he shared a photo posing with his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, who was joining the Beckham clan for the holidays for the first time.

The Brazilian singer, 29, – who was first linked to Cruz in April at Victoria’s Fashion Week show – was seen sharing a hug with matriarch on Monday.

Sharing a little glimpse into the day, she snapped a photo of her Christmas-themed cocktail complete with a candy cane, captioned: ‘A very Miami Christmas’.

The Beckhams often head stateside in the school holidays to get some sun and be together as a family.

Eldest son Brooklyn, 25, told The Sunday Times newspaper: ‘The family will all be together in Miami this year, which will be lovely.’

Youngest son Cruz, 19, showed off his love of music as he shared photos of him playing guitar and then rocking out with a band

While his older brother Brooklyn is a budding chef and photographer and Romeo has pursued a career in football, Cruz has chosen to get into singing

Cruz donned a Santa hat to get into the full festive cheer as he shared a photo posing with his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, who was joining the Beckham clan for the holidays for the first time

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Sharing a little glimpse into the day, she snapped a photo of her Christmas-themed cocktail complete with a candy cane, captioned: ‘A very Miami Christmas’

In October, Cruz whisked Jackie on a trip to Florida to spend time with his famous family and they were spotted with fashion designer Victoria on a boating trip in Miami

Eldest son Brooklyn, 25, told The Sunday Times newspaper: ‘The family will all be together in Miami this year, which will be lovely’

The aspiring chef went on to reveal what presents he will be buying for his loved ones, saying: ‘Maybe a bottle of wine for my dad, while my brothers are really into clothes and trainers.

‘Last year we got [my sister] Harper a travel make-up kit that she still uses, so something along those lines again for her.’

Brooklyn also revealed he has a Christmas Day tradition which involves buying brand new silk pyjamas and wearing them all day.

He added: ‘It has become a little tradition for Nicola and me to buy each other really comfy matching silk pyjamas. We’ll normally wear them all day.’

In October, Cruz whisked Jackie on a trip to Florida to spend time with his famous family and they were spotted with fashion designer Victoria on a boating trip in Miami.

The pair also put on a smitten display as they watched Inter Miami play the New England Revolution at the Chase Stadium, in support of his football club owner dad, alongside his sister Harper and Victoria.

Cruz recently revealed how smitten he is with Jackie, as he shared a tribute to the singer to celebrate her 29th birthday. 

He posted a photo of the brunette beauty waiting to blow out her birthday candles to his Instagram Story, captioned: ‘Happy Birthday xx I love you’.

The teen split last year from his ex Tana Holding after a year of dating, while he was also previously in a relationship with Bliss Chapman for 18 months, but they parted ways in March 2022.