Who is Jai Lucas? Miami basketball reportedly targeting Duke assistant as next head coach

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Miami basketball fans will be watching closely when Duke travels to face the Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Blue Devils associate head coach Jai Lucas is reportedly expected to be the Hurricanes’ next head coach, pending completion of contract negotiations, the Associated Press reported Saturday. According to ESPN, Lucas hasn’t formally agreed to a contract with Miami.

However, ESPN added Lucas is Miami’s focus of its vacancy and the coaching search is expected to close near the end of the regular season.

The 36-year-old coach is viewed as one of the top up-and-coming assistants in college basketball, having led Duke’s recruiting efforts since being hired by Jon Scheyer in 2022. A former McDonald’s All-American as a player, Lucas played at Florida and Texas in college.

“Jai and I, look, he’s one of my best friends in the world,” Scheyer told reporters Monday. “Me and him are always gonna be great, me and him are always gonna be able to navigate this. He’s a terrific coach, terrific person, but there’s more that’s involved than just Jai and I. You think about the Miami staff and the job they’re trying to do right now, the Miami players. Obviously, our players and what we’re trying to do.

“So, our thing is to really block it out and stay in the moment until anything becomes final, if and when that happens. But it’s not ideal. It’s not ideal, by any means.”

Here’s everything to know of Lucas as Miami takes on Duke:

Who is Jai Lucas?

Lucas is the associate head coach at Duke, where he has been an assistant since 2022, the year Scheyer took over from legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. Lucas was the first non-Duke player hired as an assistant coach at the school in 30 years.

Lucas previously served as an assistant at Texas, where he played, from 2016-20. He also was an assistant at Kentucky from 2020-22. Lucas also currently serves as the defensive coordinator at Duke, as he leads a Blue Devils defense that ranks No. 4 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency this…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/jai-lucas-miami-basketball-reportedly-211841593.html

Author : Palm Beach Daily News

Publish date : 2025-02-25 21:18:00

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