Jai Lucas Emerging as Front-Runner for Miami Head Coaching Job
NEW YORK — The buzz around Duke assistant Jai Lucas is growing louder, as sources tell CBS Sports that he is the leading candidate to take over as the next Miami Hurricanes head coach. While no formal offer has been extended, Lucas, known as a rising star in the coaching ranks and a top-tier recruiter, is being strongly considered to succeed Jim Larrañaga.
At just 36 years old, Lucas would be one of the youngest high-major head coaches in college basketball. If selected, he would be tasked with revitalizing a Miami program coming off one of its most challenging seasons. Larrañaga, who was the oldest head coach in men’s college basketball at the time, stepped down in December following a 4-8 start, a stark contrast to the Hurricanes’ Final Four run less than two years prior.
Lucas’ coaching journey began at Texas, where he spent seven seasons climbing the ranks from special assistant to assistant coach. He later joined John Calipari at Kentucky in 2020 as a recruiting coordinator before earning a promotion to assistant coach. In 2022, Jon Scheyer brought him to Duke, where he was elevated to associate head coach in 2023.
Following No. 3 Duke’s dominant 110-67 victory over Illinois at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Scheyer was asked about Lucas’ potential as a head coach.
“Absolutely, he’s a head coach, no question about it,” Scheyer affirmed. “It’s part of why I hired him, and the job he’s done for us has been incredible. Any report or anything that’s out there, I’m just getting wind of it now, but we’ll cross that bridge and figure it out. But I can tell you 100% Jai’s an amazing coach.”
Coincidentally, Duke’s next game is Tuesday at Miami, adding further intrigue to the situation.
Lucas has built a reputation as a premier recruiter, playing a key role in securing top talents like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Cason Wallace, and Shaedon Sharpe. Most notably, he was instrumental in Duke landing the highly coveted Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, Miami natives who are set to join the Blue Devils later this year. Their commitment was a significant win for Duke over Miami in the recruiting battle last fall.
The Hurricanes, once a dominant force in the early NIL era, have lost ground recently. However, with a new coaching regime on the horizon, Miami is expected to reassert itself in the recruiting and NIL landscape. If Lucas steps into the role, his knack for securing elite talent could be the spark the Hurricanes need to regain their competitive edge.
