Dec. 16, 2008

Inside the office of George Mason men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga, the walls are covered with numerous pictures, posters and plaques commemorating the success he has enjoyed in his first 11 seasons on the Patriots' sideline. But upon further inspection, there are two pieces of memorabilia that stand out above the rest.

One is a framed poster that contains the pictures of Larranaga and 22 other high-profile NCAA and NBA coaches, and the second is a photograph sitting on an end table that shows the coach and his wife, Liz, posing with none other than Michael Jordan. Both mementos have come courtesy of Larranaga's involvement each of the past three summers at Michael Jordan's Senior Flight School.

Larranaga and George Mason University became household names in March of 2006 thanks to an improbable run to the Final Four. Leading a little-known school with no previous NCAA tournament wins to victories over powerhouses Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut has had a lasting effect for the 59-year-old from the Bronx.

"What transpired during the Final Four opened up doors and windows for me," said Larranaga, who began his coaching career in 1971.

After having his request to join the Washington Speakers Bureau denied for nine straight years, Larranaga was finally deemed worthy to join its ranks following the magical March Madness ride. He still speaks to groups today about his philosophy, which is based on three simple words: attitude, commitment and class.

Larranaga has enjoyed spreading his message through the Speakers Bureau, but the most memorable perk he received during the aftermath of the Final Four came from a man named Ed Janka. Janka, the director of Nike's basketball camps and clinics, called to ask Larranaga if he would like to be part of a summer camp sponsored by Michael Jordan.

"He explained to me that each summer, Michael Jordan hosts what is known as Michael Jordan's Senior Flight School," Larranaga recalled. "It's for men who are 35 years and older, and the camp tuition is $17,500. He said they would like for me to come out and coach one of the teams."

Though he had never been, Larranaga was familiar with Flight School and knew that it boasted the likes of Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Dean Smith. Coaching alongside these and other current and future Hall-of-Famers was not an opportunity that Larranaga was about to pass up. He and his wife were flown out to Las Vegas and given a suite at the Mirage, which houses five full basketball courts in a banquet hall where the four-day fantasy camp takes place.

While the lineup of NBA and NCAA coaches at Flight School is quite diverse, it is nothing compared to the cast of campers that come from all over the country. Presidents and CEOs of companies, doctors, lawyers, Hollywood agents and men from all different walks of life pay top dollar for the chance, as Larranaga put it, "to be associated with Michael Jordan in some capacity."

Teams are picked following tryouts on Saturday, with two coaches leading each squad. A banquet is held that night for coaches, campers and their families at which time each coach is asked to say a few words. The next three days are full of drills, games and guest speakers (in his three years, Larranaga has heard Jordan, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Oscar Robertson, among others, give talks), with a single-elimination tournament producing a championship team on the camp's final afternoon.

Though he was a relative newcomer among the Flight School coaching legends, Larranaga quickly made a strong impression on his peers.

"I had a great time with him," said Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who was Larranaga's co-coach in 2006. "He's a really neat guy to be around. He has as good people skills as any coach I've seen. Being around him, that was the first thing I noticed, and that is why he's been successful. He's able to get the most out of people in a positive way."

Even Jordan himself couldn't help but be impressed with the way Larranaga carried himself on and off the court.

"In 2006 when George Mason went to the Final Four, Coach L showed the nation that he is a terrific coach," Jordan said via email. "He has been a great addition to the incredible coaching staff we have here at the Flight School. He has a great camaraderie with the campers, and his knowledge and enthusiasm for the game is apparent in helping these guys live out their basketball dreams."

Larranaga and Rivers remain close, trading emails on a regular basis to discuss basketball and bounce ideas off of each other. Larranaga also has forged lasting relationships with many of the Flight School campers he has coached. The businessmen all use the camp as a chance to network with each other, and Larranaga takes full advantage of that as well.

"All these successful businessmen want to get to know each other," he said. "I now have a lot of friends. These are guys that are very entrepreneurial, so they're good guys to get to know."

Larranaga has coached all different types of campers, from a 37-year-old retired Major League Baseball player to a 64-year-old real estate developer. No matter what their background, however, each camper holds a great deal of respect for their coach.

"He was great to play for," said Kirk Rueter, a former pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. "He's always in a good mood and gives you encouragement. It's sometimes hard to do when we're all out of shape, but he was always pushing us to win."

Garry Munson, the oldest camper at Flight School, has played for Larranaga twice.

"The thing about Coach Larranaga is he's a very positive guy," said Munson, who has attended Flight School for 11 straight summers. "He's very positive in his approach, talking about the right way to do things. He's a real basketball guy, and I can really relate to that. What's not to like?"

Larranaga's campers have all become de facto George Mason fans as well. Jeff Jacobs, an agent for Los Angeles-based CAA (not Colonial Athletic Association but Creative Artists Agency), says his three children sleep in their George Mason t-shirts.

"He's one of the best-liked coaches there," Jacobs said of Larranaga. "He's got great spirit and energy. He's the personification of what makes camp great. He helps make it a rich and vibrant experience."

Larranaga thoroughly enjoyed his first Flight School experience, but it took a unique set of circumstances for him to return for a second summer in 2007. He was not on the initial list of coaches, but when Larry Brown had to withdraw at the last minute, Larranaga got the nod.

"I got a call from Bill Frieder, one of the guys who conducts the camp, and he said to me, `Jim, Larry Brown has bowed out, can you get here Saturday for camp?'" Larranaga recounted. "It was Thursday at 5 o'clock. I said to him, `Bill, you know I would love to do it, but quite frankly, I just have too many things to do.'"

Citing recruiting visits and speaking engagements that weekend, Larranaga did not feel he could make the cross-country trip, but Frieder gave him an hour to think it over. After speaking to his wife, Larranaga received a phone call from his son, Jay, who was checking in from Italy to see if his father had lost his mind.

"He said, `Hey, are you an idiot or what? You're going to turn down Michael Jordan? Are you crazy?'" Larranaga said with a laugh.

It did not take the coach long once he hung up the phone to call Frieder back and accept his invitation. That turned out to be a very smart decision, as Larranaga and former Denver Nuggets coach Doug Moe promptly led their team to the Flight School championship. Their squad was led by Rueter and Ted Virtue, the CEO of a New York investment firm.

"Jim is good at figuring out how to get players to work with each other," said Virtue, who was relieved to finally get a ring after attending camp for nine years. "Not every coach is that attentive to chemistry. He made sure his coaching style fit our group."

Larranaga did not have quite the success in his third year at Flight School - his team lost in the title game in August - and he does not yet know if he will be invited back for a fourth summer, but he feels blessed to have had these experiences.

"For the most part, I look at myself and think I'm just lucky to be included," he said. "By being able to work the Michael Jordan camp, you get a chance to compete against the highest level of coaches there is in the world. There's a lot of satisfaction in that, to know that I was invited, that I've enjoyed some success there and they've called me back.

"To spend time with NBA legends and Hall-of-Fame coaches and feel like they've become friends, and to hang out with very successful businessmen and know they've become friends and fans of George Mason, that's very special."

Dave Buschenfeldt has been a sports writer for nearly five years and first covered the George Mason men's basketball team during its run to the Final Four. He can be reached at dbuschenfeldt@hotmail.com.