Jai Lucas, Duke men’s basketball’s assistant head coach, is reportedly leaving the program to become the head coach at Miami.
According to the Associated Press, the transaction is still pending contract discussions and information on when Lucas will leave the Blue Devils this season. @CanesInSight originally tweeted the news, and Adam Zagoria of the New York Times Sports reported that “sources” confirmed it.
Duke basketball declined to comment on or confirm the report when asked by The Chronicle. The initial tweets about the news surfaced over an hour before the Blue Devils’ victory against Illinois at Madison Square Garden. After the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was questioned about Jai Lucas’ potential as a head coach.
“Absolutely, he’s a head coach, no doubt about it. That’s one of the reasons I hired him,” Scheyer stated. “Jai is an incredible coach, and he’s been invaluable to our team. We’ll continue moving forward together and figure everything out.”
Scheyer brought Lucas onto his staff in May 2022, recruiting him from Kentucky after a successful two-year tenure. Since joining Duke, Lucas has played a crucial role in assembling top-ranked recruiting classes alongside Scheyer. Specializing in backcourt development, he has also contributed to shaping one of the nation’s strongest defensive teams.
Though not originally part of the Duke basketball “Brotherhood,” Lucas has deep-rooted connections to Durham. His grandfather, John Harding Lucas, was a respected community figure, with Lucas Middle School named in his honor.
Before coaching, Lucas played college basketball at Florida and Texas before spending three years as a professional overseas. He later transitioned into coaching at Texas under Rick Barnes, now Tennessee’s head coach.
Lucas has been an integral member of Scheyer’s staff. If his departure is confirmed, finding a suitable replacement will be a significant challenge for Duke’s young head coach.
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