Four years into NIL, coaches, agents reveal heartache and frustration of students big money chase

In late December, University of Miami hoops coach Jim Larranaga retired two months into the season.There was no scandal behind it, no family reasons given.Larranaga — who has taken two teams to the Final Four, most recently in 2023 — told The Post thisweek: “It’s not that I don’t love coaching anymore or wanted to step down.

I felt like I was no longer the right guy for the job.”More specifically, not the right guy in this brave new world where NIL — the NCAA right that lets college athletes profit off their name, image and likeness — combined with the freedom of movement the transfer portal provides young athletes, has essentially made college athletes free agents every year.As the first class who were freshman under NIL privileges, which were instated July 1, 2021, are now ready to graduate, the college sports landscape is a chaotic one.Not only did it change the status quo for coaches and athletes, it’s taken dynamite to the whole system.“When NIL hit and the transfer portal opened up at the same time, what I found immediately frustrating was that players and their view of the college experience was going to be completely changed,” Larranaga, 75, said.The Queens native, who is currently writing a book on leadership and will be teaching at Miami, made it clear he’s not critical of athletes wanting to capitalize on a short window and make money.“But to build a program as a coach, you’re losing the normal continuity,” he said of the now-yearly roster turnover.

“I had 10 new guys and they weren’t that interested in a new system or developing skills that could be put to use.They were basically trying out for their next job.“The culture changed.

Not my culture, but the players had a different view.”Followers of college hoops will likely cite Larranaga’s age and say he was already heading toward the end of his career.But only two months earlier, University of Virginia coach Tony Bennett also shocked the basketball world by c...