Duke Loses Top Assistant Coach as Miami Makes Hiring Official
Miami agreed to terms with Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas and will announce him as the team’s next men’s basketball head coach on Thursday, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.
Lucas, 36, will become the youngest head coach among power conference schools when he takes over at Miami, which sources told Norlander will happen after Duke’s regular season finale on Saturday against North Carolina.
Miami was first reported to be pursuing Lucas in late February, and worked quickly to get him onto campus as soon as they could. Miami’s season will end Saturday against NC State regardless of outcome, since the 6-24 ‘Canes will not participate in the ACC Tournament as one of the top 15 seeds.
With the transfer portal opening on March 24, Lucas being fully onboard by then is crucial for the ‘Canes to retain key players and add new ones. Not having a coach by then can be a huge setback in the modern NIL and transfer portal era.
However, the arrangement is certainly an unusual one for Duke, who will lose their top assistant coach – and reported defensive strategist – before the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, where the Blue Devils are widely considered a top title contender.
Lucas spent three years at Duke under coach Scheyer. Prior to that he spent two seasons recruiting with John Calipari at Kentucky, and before that he was at Texas – his alma mater – for seven years, rising from Director of Basketball Operations to assistant coach. His recruiting acumen in particular should bode well if the ‘Canes can get an influx of NIL money from boosters, which often happens when a new coach comes to town.
While Miami was not remotely close to competing with Duke this year, they did make a Final Four in 2022 and the Elite Eight in 2023, and a new coach with a knack for recruiting – who is just 36 – could be a sore sight in Durham for years to come.
