Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas has emerged as the focus of Miami’s search for a new basketball coach, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
A deal is not completed, and the plan is for the search to come together on a traditional timeline close to the end of the regular season.
Sources told ESPN on Saturday night that the job has not been formally offered, nor is a deal expected to be imminent. Miami plays Duke on Tuesday in Coral Gables, Florida.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer was asked about Lucas after the Blue Devils’ 110-67 win over Illinois on Saturday night in New York.
“Absolutely he’s a head coach, no question about it,” Scheyer said. “It’s part of why I hired him. The job he’s done for us has been incredible.
“Any report or anything that’s out there, I’m just getting wind of it now. We’ll cross that bridge and figure it out.”
Lucas, 36, is considered one of the country’s top assistant coaches, having worked at Texas (2016-20) and Kentucky (2020-22) as an assistant prior to landing at Duke in 2022. He was elevated to Duke’s associate head coach in 2023.
He is also Duke’s defensive coordinator. The Blue Devils rank No. 4 nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings and No. 1 in 2-point field goal percentage allowed. In Lucas’ first two seasons with Duke, the team finished in the top 20 in KenPom’s defense rankings.
Miami is set to replace Jim Larranaga, who stepped down in December amid his 14th season at the school. Larranaga led Miami to the Final Four in 2023 and twice won the ACC regular-season title. The Hurricanes are 6-21 overall this season and in last place in the ACC at 2-14.
Lucas is considered one of the country’s best recruiters, as he helped bring elite talent to Texas and Kentucky when he was with those programs. Duke’s recruiting class has been ranked in the top two nationally in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Lucas played a big role in helping bring in the Boozer twins — No. 3 Cameron and No. 16 Cayden — for the 2025 class.
Lucas is the son of John Lucas II, the former Maryland All-American, No. 1 NBA draft pick and longtime NBA coach and assistant.
