University of Miami Names Jai Lucas as Head Men’s Basketball Coach

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami has named one of the nation’s most respected assistant coaches and recruiters, Jai Lucas, as its new head men’s basketball coach, Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich announced Thursday.

Lucas comes to Coral Gables after spending the past three seasons at Duke University, where he has served as associate head coach for two seasons and as an assistant coach for one. The Blue Devils are currently ranked second in the country with a record of 27-3 and have clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title.

“We are excited to welcome Jai and his family to the Hurricane Family,” Radakovich said. “Jai is an innovative coach, a relentless recruiter and proven talent developer whose knowledge and passion for the game resonated throughout the interview process. He has coached at some of college basketball’s most storied programs under tremendous head coaches.

“It is clear that Jai understands what it takes to compete on and off the floor in this new era of college basketball and he sees the great potential at Miami. We are fortunate to have Jai join us in Coral Gables.”

Lucas will be introduced formally at a press conference at UM’s Lakeside Auditorium on Monday, March 10. He replaces Jim Larrañaga, who stepped down December 26, 2024, after coaching 13-plus seasons at Miami and leaving as the all-time winningest head coach in program history.

“I am incredibly grateful and honored to be the next head coach at the University of Miami,” Lucas said. “Miami has everything you need to compete at the highest level — elite academics, a passionate fan base, and a commitment to excellence in athletics. Beyond that, the city of Miami has a rich culture and energy that makes this an incredibly special place. The history, diversity, and passion for sports here are second to none.

“I look forward to building on an incredible foundation and leading this program into an exciting new era. My family and I can’t wait to get to Coral Gables and get to work.”

Lucas has spent 12 overall seasons on the staffs at Duke University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Texas, helping lead those programs to seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

At Duke, in addition to playing a pivotal role in helping the Blue Devils secure the nation’s top recruiting class in both 2024 and 2025, Lucas served as the program’s defensive coordinator. This season, the Blue Devils currently rank sixth in the nation in scoring defense (61.1 points per game) and fourth nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.1). KenPom currently rates Duke as the fourth-best defense in the country with an adjusted defense efficiency rating of 89.6.

In 2023-24, Duke’s defense held opponents to 66.3 points per game, which ranked 28th nationally and second in the ACC, while the team posted a 27-9 overall record, 15-5 in the ACC, and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. In Lucas’ first season in Durham, the Blue Devils yielded just 63.6 points per game, a .406 field goal percentage and a .305 three-point percentage—each top 30 nationally and each top two in the ACC—helping Duke capture the ACC Tournament championship.

Prior to his arrival in Durham, Lucas was on staff at Kentucky for two seasons, joining the Wildcats as recruiting coordinator in August 2020 before being promoted to assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the 2020-21 season. In two seasons in Lexington, he helped Kentucky sign five players who played in either the McDonald’s All-American or Jordan Brand Classic games and was instrumental in landing three student-athletes ranked in ESPN 100’s class of 2021 rankings and two in the 2022 class.

Lucas began his coaching career at his alma mater, Texas, where he spent seven seasons on staff. The Houston native started as a special assistant with the program from 2013-15 before serving as director of basketball operations in the 2015-16 season. He was promoted to assistant coach in 2016, and in his first year helped the Longhorns win 20 games and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

In his first two recruiting cycles as an assistant coach, Lucas helped the Longhorns ink two Top 10 signing classes. The 2017 class was rated No. 5 nationally by Rivals while the 2018 class was tapped No. 8 in the country by ESPN and 247Sports. His debut season as an assistant also helped spark a three-year streak in which a Texas freshman was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft—Jarrett Allen (No. 22 to Brooklyn in 2017), Mohamed Bamba (No. 6 to Orlando in 2018) and Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 to Atlanta in 2019). The selection of Hayes—the Big 12 Freshman of the Year—meant Texas joined Duke and Kentucky as the only programs with a lottery pick in consecutive drafts.

Lucas played two seasons at Texas, helping the Longhorns earn back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, after playing at Florida as a freshman in 2007-08 and being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Lucas would go on to spend three seasons in the professional ranks, including one in Latvia with BK Valmiera of the Baltic Basketball League (2011-12) and two in the NBA Development League with the Idaho Stampede (2012-13) and Canton Charge (2013).

Lucas was a McDonald’s All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic selection and a Parade All-America Second Team honoree as a senior at Bellaire (TX) High School in the Houston area. He started for three seasons and was a three-time District Player of the Year while leading Bellaire to three consecutive district titles.

Lucas graduated from Texas in 2011 with a degree in corporate communication. He and his wife Kori have two sons, Jaxin and Kalib, and he has a son, Xavier. His father, John II, is a former head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets. The elder Lucas played 14 seasons in the NBA after earning All-America honors in both basketball and tennis at Maryland.