One of the most enduring images of the 2013 NCAA Tournament – the one in which the Hurricanes made their first Sweet 16 appearance under men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga – was the post-game locker room celebration after Miami beat Illinois to earn that coveted berth.
As he walked off the court after that intense 63-59 win, Larrañaga, who is rarely at a loss for words, struggled with the message he’d deliver to his players in the locker room.
Then, inspiration struck, and Larrañaga invoked the name of Muhammad Ali, who died late Friday.
“Every timeout, I kept repeating the same words, ‘You have to fight.