Miami men’s basketball hires Duke associate coach Jai Lucas as next head coach

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Miami men’s basketball has found its next head coach, and did so by poaching one of its conference foe’s coaching staffs.

On Thursday, the Hurricanes officially announced the hiring of Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas to be their next head coach. It was first reported on Wednesday by several outlets, including CBS Sports and ESPN, that Lucas agreed to a deal with Miami.

The 36-year-old Lucas becomes the youngest head coach at the Power Four level of the sport.

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Lucas will take over in Coral Gables for Jim Larrañaga, who stunned the men’s college basketball world in December when he retired due to college athletics continuing to shift to a more “professional” daily operation.

A former player at Florida and Texas, Lucas joined Jon Scheyer’s staff in Durham in 2022 as an assistant coach and was elevated to associate head coach last season. Per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Lucas’ deal with Miami is five years.

“I am incredibly grateful and honored to be the next head coach at the University of Miami,” Lucas said in a statement. “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.”

Over the past three seasons at Duke, Lucas further established his reputation as one of the top recruiters in the country, as he was a key recruiter in the Blue Devils receiving commitments from national player of the year candidate Cooper Flagg and incoming top-25 prospects Cameron and Cayden Boozer.

Lucas has been part of building seven top-10 recruiting…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/miami-mens-basketball-hires-duke-190034451.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-06 19:00:00

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