UM News Briefs: Coach Larrañaga, Ron DeSantis and Tina Turner

Photo credit: Roberta Macedo

Note from the news editors: UM News Briefs are a new segment from The Miami Hurricane. News briefs provide a weekly snapshot of life at the University of Miami, in Miami and sometimes around the state, country or world. Stay up to date with UM News Briefs.

THIS WEEK AT THE U

Coach Larrañaga extends contract through 2026-27

Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich announced Tuesday that the University of Miami and head men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga agreed to a contract extension of an additional year following monumental achievements in program history and a recent induction into the UM Sports Hall of Fame & Museum.

In 2023, Larrañaga completed his twelfth year at the U with one of the program’s most decorated seasons. He led the Hurricanes to their first Final Four appearance, sharing the ACC regular season title and tied a Miami record with 29 wins along the way.

U KNOW MIAMI

After a parent’s complaint at Bob Graham Education Center, Amanda Gorman’s book, “The Hill We Climb” was yanked from shelves for K-5 students. The parent cited “confusion” and “indoctrinated student” according to her complaint form. She also incorrectly labeled the author as “Oprah Winfrey” and left some of the prompts blank.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava tweeted at Gorman, saying she would be happy to host a reading of Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.”

IN CASE U MISSED IT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis enters the presidential race

After a glitchy presidential debut on Twitter, many believed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis missed his chance to present himself as a serious contender against former president Donald Trump.

DeSantis later found footing on Fox News, a far more familiar and effective way of communicating to his primary voters, to finally lay out a substantive case for what a DeSantis presidency would look like.

The New York Times called DeSantis the “the candidate of educated right-wingers” as during his speech DeSantis regularly referred to his blue collar roots, speaking to the college educated Republicans as opposed to those without college degrees, who heavily favor Trump.

On Wednesday, DeSantis made it clear he was not ready to punch Trump just yet, but laid out a general groundwork of where he is to aim when the time comes.

Rock icon Tina Turner dead at 83

Tina Turner, the eccentric singer whose vocals and energy made her an unforgettable performer, died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, at 83.

Bernard Doherty, her publicist, announced the singer’s death in a statement but did not provide the cause. She suffered a stroke in 2013 and was known to have been struggling with a kidney disease and other illnesses.

Turner leaves behind a star-studded, seven-decade legacy that blazed the paths for today’s icons including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Amy Winehouse.

The 12-time Grammy winner, two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is the voice behind the classic hits “River Deep — Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “Better Be Good to Me.”

Born Anna Mae Bullock on Nov. 26, 1939, she began singing at age 11 in Nutbush’s Spring Hill Baptist Church choir. Turner launched her performing career in her late teens after meeting her future husband, bandleader Ike Turner, at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis. Ike and Tina began a streak of mainstream success in 1966 when they signed to Wall of Sound producer Phil Spector’s Philles label and released the international hit “River Deep — Mountain High.”

In 2009, Turner retired from performing, but continued her legacy carried on through a jukebox musical on Broadway and two memoirs titled “My Love Story” and “Happiness Becomes You.”