Jai Lucas Joins Miami as New Hurricanes Coach

Jai Lucas has been confirmed as the new head coach for Miami’s men’s basketball team, a development that concludes nearly two weeks of negotiations. An individual familiar with the discussions reported on Wednesday that Lucas and Miami reached a formal agreement, solidifying a commitment that was initially reached in principle.

The newly appointed coach will be officially welcomed to the Miami community on Monday. This information comes from someone who requested anonymity due to the fact that neither Miami nor Lucas has publicly disclosed any specific terms of the deal. However, it is anticipated that Miami will make a formal announcement regarding Lucas’s hiring on Thursday.

Lucas will embark on a five-year term at Miami. He plans to remain with Duke until their regular-season final against North Carolina on Saturday, after which he will travel to Coral Gables on Sunday to commence his new role on Monday.

Having served at Duke for three years, Lucas holds the position of associate head coach for the Blue Devils. In Miami’s search for a new coach, they evaluated a diverse range of candidates with backgrounds from both college basketball and the NBA. Lucas emerged as the leading contender due to his qualifications and the legacy of his father, former NBA coach John Lucas. The university then prioritized securing the agreement with him.

Lucas takes over the reins from Jim Larrañaga, who unexpectedly stepped down in December. Bill Courtney, a long-time associate head coach, stepped up in an interim role and will lead the Hurricanes in their season finale on Saturday.

Lucas’s departure from Duke coincides with the Blue Devils’ preparations for a potential national championship campaign. Duke boasts an impressive 27-3 overall record and has an 18-1 standing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, positioning them for a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This could mean that Duke’s season extends into early April. Recognizing the importance of having their new coach onboard before the transfer portal opens on March 24, Miami aimed to finalize Lucas’s hiring in preparation for reshaping the team’s roster.

Despite reaching the Final Four only two years ago, Miami will not advance to the ACC Tournament this season. The team faces a tough finale against N.C. State, as they currently hold a 2-17 record in the ACC and a 6-24 record overall, coming dangerously close to setting a new school record for most losses in a single season. Since starting strong last season at 11-2, Miami has only managed to secure 10 wins against 39 defeats.

As the new head coach, Lucas is charged with revamping the Hurricanes’ team dynamics. He is recognized for his recruiting talents and played a leading role in helping Duke secure commitments from the highly sought-after twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer. Curiously, the Boozer twins, whose father is former Duke standout and NBA player Carlos Boozer, reside in Miami and were also pursued by Miami’s program.

In addition to his recruiting prowess, Lucas serves as Duke’s defensive coordinator. He previously contributed to Kentucky, where he worked as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for two seasons. Before that, Lucas spent seven years at Texas, his alma mater, progressing from a special assistant to the director of basketball operations, later becoming an assistant coach.

Lucas’s journey began as a player, starting his collegiate basketball career at Florida, where he started 36 games in the 2007-08 season. He transferred to Texas and shortly after wrapped up his playing career with a brief stint in professional basketball, moving onto coaching shortly thereafter.