Class of 2026 Commencement Speaker Announced
Belen Jesuit proudly announces that longtime University of Miami Basketball Coach Jim Larrañaga will be the commencement speaker at the class of 2026 graduation ceremony on May 20th at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.
Larrañaga led the Hurricanes from 2011 to 2024, following successful tenures at six other universities. During his 13 seasons in Miami, he guided the program to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Sweet 16s, the program’s first Elite Eight (2022), and its first Final Four (2023). Under his leadership, the Hurricanes also captured their first ACC Tournament title (2013) and earned two ACC regular-season championships (2013, 2023).
A two-time National Coach of the Year, Larrañaga has received honors from the Associated Press, Naismith, USBWA, and Henry Iba organizations. He has also been recognized as ACC Coach of the Year and USBWA District Coach of the Year, among other distinctions.
“I’m excited for the Class of 2026 to hear from such an inspirational and accomplished coach,” said Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., Ed.D. ’87, President of Belen Jesuit. “While his accolades speak for themselves, what stands out most is his character. He exemplifies the Catholic values we hold dear, and I am confident his message will resonate deeply with our graduates.”
The winningest coach in program history at Miami, Larrañaga recorded five 25-win seasons—more than any coach in program history—and finished his career with 744 victories, ranking among the top Division I coaches of all time. In 2023, he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame & Museum and named a first-time nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He attended Archbishop Molloy High School in New York. A graduate of Providence College, where he earned a degree in economics in 1971 and played collegiate basketball, Larrañaga also played professionally in Belgium. He and his wife, Liz, have two sons and four grandchildren.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.