Miami, Duke assistant Jai Lucas agree to terms as next head coach

Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas is set to become the next head coach at Miami after the two sides agreed to terms, On3’s Joe Tipton confirmed. He spent the last three years with the Blue Devils – the last two as Jon Scheyer’s top assistant – and will remain with the Blue Devils through the end of the regular season, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello said.

Lucas got into coaching at Texas under Rick Barnes following a professional career that began in Europe and ended in the NBA G-League. He played two years at Texas from 2009-11 after one season at Florida.

Lucas, 36, was an assistant at Texas until 2020 when he left to take a role on John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky as a special assistant and lead recruiter. He stayed there until Scheyer brought him aboard his new-look staff in 2022 after replacing Mike Krzyzewski. In 2023, Lucas moved up to associate head coach.

As a player, Lucas arrived at Florida as a highly touted recruit. He was a McDonald’s All-American as he made his way to Gainesville to play for Billy Donovan. He started all 36 games as a freshman, but only spent one year with the Gators before transferring to Texas.

With the Longhorns, Lucas made one start in his 58 appearances, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in his two seasons. He then began his professional career in Latvia with BK Valmiera from 2011-12 before returning stateside in the G-League with the Idaho Stampede. After stints with the Sioux Falls Courage and Canton Charge, Lucas joined Texas’ staff as a special assistant in 2013. In 2016, Shaka Smart named Lucas an assistant coach.

During his coaching career, Jai Lucas became known as one of the top recruiters in the country. On3’s Jamie Shaw also listed him as one of 20 assistant coaches poised for head coaching opportunities.

A former point guard, Lucas also coaches the Duke backcourt and serves as the program’s defensive coordinator, helping build the Blue Devils into one of the nation’s top defensive teams this season. Duke is one of the most efficient defenses in the country, according to KenPom.

Miami has been searching for a new head coach since Jim Larrañaga announced his plans to step down in December, effective immediately. He amassed a 274-174 record as the Hurricanes’ head coach, including a 126-116 record in ACC play. Miami appeared in six NCAA Tournaments under Larrañaga’s watch and made the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2023.