Done Deal: Duke’s Jai Lucas named next University of Miami men’s basketball coach
It’s official: Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas was named University of Miami men’s basketball coach.
Reports had been swirling for weeks and the announcement from the school came Thursday morning.
“We are excited to welcome Jai and his family to the Hurricane Family,” UM athletic director Dan 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 retired unexpectedly on December 26 after coaching 13-plus seasons at Miami and left 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 will be on the Duke sideline for the second-ranked Blue Devils’ regular season finale against rival North Carolina on Saturday night before heading to Miami.
The Hurricanes’ season finale is at home Saturday at noon against N.C. State, and they will not make the ACC Tournament as they dropped to 6-24 overall and 2-17 in the conference after Tuesday’s loss to Georgia Tech.
The pressing question was whether Lucas, the 36-year-old son of former NBA star and coach John Lucas, would remain with the Blue Devils through the post-season, as the Blue Devils are a national title contender. He will not.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer opened his Thursday press conference by addressing the news and had nothing but high praise for Lucas.
“I couldn’t be more excited for him and his family,” Scheyer said. “Jai came here before I even coached one game as a head coach and he’s been here from the beginning, really helped me build this thing. He’s been awesome. He’s a great coach, great teacher. I could be up here the whole time saying all the things I feel about Jai. We’re great friends, and it’s going to be that way, at least from my perspective, for a long time.”
As for the timing of the move, Scheyer said it was “not ideal” but there was no other option. He added that Lucas wanted to stay through Duke’s post-season run, but he and Scheyer examined the situation and a decision was made for him to head to Miami after Saturday’s game. The transfer portal opens March 24 and Lucas’ recruiting skills will be vital as the UM roster is expected to undergo a complete overhaul.
“There were few unique factors,” Scheyer explained about the timing of Lucas’ move. “The fact that an assistant coach was getting a high major job, the fact that this is the first time in years where not every team makes the ACC tournament, so that bumped it up a week. And obviously, our intention is to be playing for a while still. So, in this, Jai and I are fully connected. This whole process has been completely transparent.”
Lucas replaces interim UM coach Bill Courtney, who took over for Larranaga and was part of the staff that led the Hurricanes to the Final Four in 2023 and the Elite Eight the year before that.
Miami Columbus High coach Andrew Moran will be approached for a position on Lucas’ staff, according to multiple sources, as will Arkansas assistant coach Bruiser Flint, who was on Kentucky’s staff with Lucas from 2020-22.
As Lucas puts together his staff, Moran is a logical choice.
Moran was hired at Columbus in 2019 and is about to complete his sixth season coaching the Explorers. He has guided Columbus to three consecutive state championships with teams led on the court by Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former NBA standout Carlos Boozer.
Over that span, Moran has compiled a 136-32 record including a 107-13 record over the past four seasons since the Boozers joined the team.
Prior to his stint at Columbus, Moran also won a state title coaching Miami Christian in 2015.
This season, Columbus is vying to become only the second team in Miami-Dade to win four consecutive state titles and are ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. The Explorers are expected to be invited to Chipotle Nationals to compete for a national championship on April 3-5 in Fishers, Indiana.
The Boozers, who signed with Duke University in December, were being heavily recruited by Miami before choosing to join the Blue Devils. Lucas is hailed as one of the nation’s top recruiters and was said to be instrumental in Duke signing the Boozer twins.
He helped secure phenom Cooper Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 recruit last year. His recruiting skills will be vital as the UM roster is expected to undergo a complete overhaul.
Lucas also is Duke’s defensive coordinator. He worked at Kentucky for two seasons as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach before joining Jon Scheyer’s staff at Duke. Before that, he spent seven years at his alma mater, Texas, where he got into coaching as a special assistant, was promoted to director of basketball operations and then assistant coach.
Scheyer was asked after Duke’s win over Miami last week what UM fans can expect from Lucas should he be hired. He said: “Jai is a special coach. We’ve been through a lot together for three years. He’s everything you could want. Attention to detail. Great with relationships. Great on the floor. He’s a great coach. Bottom line.”
Miami Herald Deputy Sports Editor Andre Fernandez, writer Steve Gorten, and Steve Wiseman of the Raleigh News & Observer contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Done Deal: Duke’s Jai Lucas named next University of Miami men’s basketball coach."