Jai Lucas of Duke Set to Lead Miami Basketball Program, Contract Awaiting Finalization According to AP Source

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jai Lucas, the associate head coach for Duke, is set to become the next head coach for the Miami Hurricanes, pending contract negotiations, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. This development was reported Saturday evening.

The Hurricanes and Lucas aim to finalize the contract in the upcoming weeks. The source indicated that discussions will include the timeline for Lucas’s departure from Duke and his commencement with Miami, whose regular season wraps up on March 8. Unfortunately, Miami’s chances of postseason play, including a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament, appear slim after suffering a 2-14 record in the ACC and an overall record of 6-21 following their recent loss to Virginia Tech.

Conversely, Duke is a strong contender for the NCAA Tournament, led by player of the year candidate Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils could still be in action until early April; with the transfer portal opening on March 24, Miami is likely seeking to have a new head coach in place by that time to begin roster rebuilding efforts.

In a twist of fate, Duke is scheduled to play against Miami on Tuesday night, though it is unlikely that Lucas and the Hurricanes will have completed their contract negotiations by then. Lucas will succeed Jim Larrañaga, who unexpectedly stepped down in December, with Bill Courtney currently serving as interim head coach.

On Saturday night, Duke triumphed over Illinois with a score of 110-67 at Madison Square Garden. Following the game, Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer mentioned that he was unaware of any existing agreement between Lucas and Miami but praised Lucas’s capabilities as a future head coach, stating, “Jai’s an amazing coach.” He emphasized Lucas’s positive impact on the team. “We’ll continue moving forward and figure it all out together. He’s great, across the board.”

Two seasons ago, the Hurricanes reached the Final Four and had a strong start to last season, winning 11 of their first 13 games. However, the team has struggled since early January 2024, achieving a dismal 10-36 record, the worst among Division I power conference teams during that timeframe, and a 6-29 record against ACC opponents.

Duke is currently ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25. The agreement between the Hurricanes and Lucas was first reported by CanesInsight.

The 36-year-old Lucas, who is the son of former NBA coach John Lucas, has been part of Scheyer’s staff at Duke for three years, serving the last two as the associate head coach. Recognized as a premier recruiter, Lucas played a pivotal role in Duke’s successful recruitment of twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer last fall. The Boozer twins, who are the children of former Duke star and NBA player Carlos Boozer, reside in Miami, making them a key target for the Hurricanes as well.

In addition to being a top recruiter, Lucas serves as Duke’s defensive coordinator. He previously worked at Kentucky for two seasons as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, following a seven-year tenure at Texas, his alma mater, where he progressed from a special assistant to director of basketball operations and eventually assistant coach.

Lucas began his collegiate playing career at Florida, starting in 36 games for the Gators during the 2007-08 season, before transferring to Texas. He also had a brief professional basketball career, which included time with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, affiliated with the Miami Heat.