Exciting News: Duke’s Jai Lucas Set to Lead Miami Basketball – Contract Negotiations Underway

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Jai Lucas, the associate head coach at Duke, is set to become the head coach at Miami. Although the deal isn’t final yet, discussions are underway to hammer out the details.

Miami’s basketball team is having a tough season, with a record of 2-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and 6-21 overall. The team recently lost to Virginia Tech, making a postseason appearance unlikely. The Hurricanes are eager to rebuild their roster, and having a new coach in place before the transfer portal opens on March 24 is important.

Interestingly, Duke will play at Miami soon, but it seems unlikely that Lucas will finalize his move before then. He will replace Jim Larrañaga, who unexpectedly stepped down in December. Bill Courtney has been serving as the interim head coach.

Meanwhile, Duke is thriving. They recently crushed Illinois with a score of 110-67, and their coach, Jon Scheyer, praised Lucas, saying he’s a natural fit for a head coaching role. “Jai’s an amazing coach,” Scheyer said. “He’s been great for these guys.” Their strong performance has them ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25.

Lucas has a solid background in basketball coaching. The 36-year-old, son of former NBA coach John Lucas, has spent the last three years at Duke, the last two as associate head coach. He’s known for being a top recruiter and played a key role in bringing in the Boozer twins, who are significant prospects. Before Duke, Lucas worked at Kentucky and Texas, where he held various positions, finally becoming an assistant coach.

He also has experience as a player, starting at Florida before transferring to Texas. Lucas even had a brief stint in professional basketball, including time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s G League affiliate.