Jim Larrañaga is stepping down as Miami's men's basketball coach effective immediately, a person with knowledge of the decision said Thursday

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Jim Larrañaga is stepping down as Miami's men's basketball coach effective immediately, a person with knowledge of the decision said Thursday.

The 75-year-old Larrañaga will be replaced by associate head coach Bill Courtney -- one of Larrañaga's best friends for the past three decades or so -- for the remainder of the season, the person said.

kAm%96 A6CD@? DA@<6 E@ %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 E96 D49@@= 925 ?@E >256 2?J AF3=:4 2??@F?46>6?E]k^Am kAmp AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 H2D A=2??65 7@C =2E6C %9FCD52J]k^AmkAm%96 564:D:@? 3J {2CC2ñ282 6?5D 2 'c\J62C CF? 2D 4@249 @7 E96 wFCC:42?6D -- 2?5[ AC6DF>23=J[ 2 c'\J62C 4@==686 9625\4@249:?8 42C66C E92E D2H 9:> H:? fcc 82>6D 2E |:2>:[ p>6C:42? x?E6C?2E:@?2=[ v6@C86 |2D@? 2?5 q@H=:?8 vC66?] w6 E@@< |:2>: E@ E96 u:?2= u@FC :? a_ab 2?5 E@@< v6@C86 |2D@? E@ E96 u:?2= u@FC :? a__e]k^AmkAm%96 wFCC:42?6D 2C6 c\g E9:D D62D@? 2?5 @?=J d\'h :? E96:C =2DE ac 82>6D[ 2 DEF??:?8 7C6672== 7@C 2 AC@8C2> E92E H6?E E@ E96 u:?2= u@FC ;FDE EH@ D62D@?D 28@] x?;FC:6D 2?5 C@DE6C EFC?@G6C 92G6 E2<6? 2 4=62C E@==[ 2?5 {2CC2ñ282 :D @?6 @7 >2?J 4@2496D H9@ 92D 6IAC6DD65 D@>6 =6G6= @7 7CFDEC2E:@? H:E9 E96 =24< @7 C68F=2E:@? 2?5 EC2?DA2C6?4J E92E 4@>6D H:E9 E96 }2>6[ x>286 2?5 {:<6?6DD 6C2 :? 4@==686 DA@CED]k^AmkAm{2CC2ñ282 :D E96 D64@?5 AC@>:?6?E 4@249 E@ DE6A 5@H? F?6IA64E65=J E9:D D62D@? :? E96 pE=2?E:4 r@2DE r@?76C6?46] %@?J q6??6EE 5:5 E96 D2>6 2E ':C8:?:2 324< :? ~4E@36C[ =6DD E92? E9C66 H66<D 367@C6 E96 r2G2=:6CD A=2J65 E96:C D62D@?\@A6?6C]k^AmkAmq6??6EE[ H96? 96 DE6AA65 5@H?[ D2:5 }x{ 92D D:>A=J 492?865 E96 82>6 7@C 4@2496D 2?5 ?@E :? 2 8@@5 H2J]k^AmkAm"r@==686 2E9=6E:4D :D ?@E :? 2 962=E9J DA@E] xE'D ?@E[" q6??6EE D2:5 :? ~4E@36C] "p?5 E96C6 ?665D E@ 36 492?86] xE'D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 8@ 324<] x E9:?< x H2D 6BF:AA65 E@ 5@ E96 ;@3 96C6 E96 @=5 H2J -- E92E'D H9@ x 2> 2?5 E92E'D 9@H :E H2D]"k^Am kAm{2CC2ñ282VD 564:D:@? E@ DE6A 2D:56 >2<6D 9:> E96 =2E6DE 3:8\?2>6 G6E6C2? 4@249 E@ =62G6 E96 prr :? C646?E D62D@?D[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 56A2CEFC6D @7 D@>6 @E96C 8:2?ED H:E9:? E96 DA@CE -- k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C@J\H:==:2>D\C6E:C6D\27E6C\bb\J62CD\<2?D2D\E2C\966=D\2aa2e_aeg_de7hhh52eh7bhfec4fc635Qm}@CE9 r2C@=:?2'D #@J (:==:2>Dk^2m :? DAC:?8 a_a'[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA@CED\EC2G6=\>6?D\4@==686\32D<6E32==\4@249:?8\fe27bb2db2e7h3agfb'd6_g'225'2eh_QmsF<6'D |:<6 zCKJK6HD<:k^2m 2 J62C =2E6C 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;:>\3@696:>\DJC24FD6\b2'h_67g4_b'gdc55347eb6335'c'7hcQm$JC24FD6'D y:> q@696:>k^2m E@ 6?5 2 cf\J62C E6?FC6 :? a_ab[ 2?5 q6??6EE 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^AmkAmxE'D 2=D@ E96 D64@?5 DF556? C6E:C6>6?E 7@C |:2>:'D 32D<6E32== AC@8C2>D :? a_aci k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:2>:\<2E:6\>6:6C\e7b453a_e52'_ghcdd56af6ef6'5bgf6QmH@>6?'D 4@249 z2E:6 |6:6Ck^2m DFCAC:D65 >2?J 2C@F?5 E96 wFCC:42?6D H96? D96 DE6AA65 2H2J E9:D A2DE DAC:?8 27E6C 'h D62D@?D :? r@C2= v23=6D] |6:6C 92D C6>2:?65 2E E96 D49@@= 2D 2 DA64:2= 25G:D@C E@ 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C s2? #252<@G:49 2?5 2D 2 AC@76DD@C]k^AmkAm~77:4:2==J[ {2CC2ñ282VD 7:CDE 4@249:?8 ;@3 H2D :? 'hff 2E p>6C:42? x?E6C?2E:@?2=] &?@77:4:2==J[ :E H2D H96? 96 H2D 2 7C6D9>2? 2E pC493:D9@A |2==@J w:89 $49@@= :? }6H *@C<] {2CC2ñ282 H2D @? 2? F?56762E65 7C6D9>2? E62> E96C6 2?5 E96 4@249 BF:E 2E r9C:DE>2D -- D@ y24< rFCC2?[ E96 G2CD:EJ 4@249 E96C6[ ?2>65 {2CC2ñ282 @?6 @7 E96 DEF56?E 4@2496D 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 D62D@?]k^AmkAm|@C6 E92? e_ J62CD =2E6C[ :E H2D {2CC2ñ282 DE6AA:?8 5@H? 2E r9C:DE>2DE:>6]k^AmkAmw6 A=2J65 4@==686 32D<6E32== 2E !C@G:56?46[ 92D 4@24965 >@C6 E92? EH@ 5@K6? 4@==686 A=2J6CD H9@ H6?E @? E@ E96 }qp[ >256 a_ A@DED62D@? 2AA62C2?46D -- '' }rpp[ 6:89E }x% 2?5 @?6 rx% 36CE9 -- 2D 2 4@249[ H2D E96 p! ?2E:@?2= 4@249 @7 E96 J62C :? a_'b 2?5 H2D 2??@F?465 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 2D 2 42?5:52E6 282:? 7@C 6?D9C:?6>6?E :? E96 }2:D>:E9 |6>@C:2= q2D<6E32== w2== @7 u2>6]k^Amk9C ^mkAmv6E A@== 2=6CED 2?5 FA52E6D @? p! %@A ad 32D<6E32== E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@?] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=:?<]2A?6HD]4@>^;@:?^e?C^?6HD=6EE6CD\433Qm$:8? FA 96C6k^2mk^Amk9C ^mkAmp! 4@==686 32D<6E32==i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\32D<6E32==\A@==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\32D<6E32==\A@==k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\32D<6E32==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\32D<6E32==k^2mk^Am