Jai Lucas, the former Duke basketball coach and recruiter, has recently been named the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. Before taking on this role, Lucas was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Duke, where he played a key role in bringing in top recruiting classes and strengthening the team’s defense. His coaching career also includes notable tenures at the University of Texas and the University of Kentucky, where he earned a reputation as a top recruiter, securing five-star recruits. At Duke, he was the primary recruiter for Cooper Flagg and the Boozer twins. This move to Miami represents Lucas’s first head coaching opportunity, as he takes over from Jim Larranaga, who retired mid-season.
According to recent reports from Alex Karamanos, Lucas has already begun recruiting for the Miami Hurricanes program. One of his first visits was to North Tampa Christian Academy, where he checked in on five-star 2026 prospect Toni Bryant. Standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing 200 pounds, Bryant is considered one of the top players in the Tampa Bay area.
As a sophomore, Bryant led the nation in blocked shots and has received offers from several schools, including Ole Miss, Texas, Florida, and Miami. He is ranked as the fourth-best player in Florida and 14th nationally, according to On3.
During his first press conference at Miami, Lucas highlighted the wealth of basketball talent in Florida, especially the 2026 recruiting class. “Florida has the best talent coming up in the next few years,” he remarked. Miami has also been competing for top transfer portal prospects, such as Josh Harris from North Florida.
Lucas’s primary focus is on rebuilding the Miami Hurricanes basketball program, which is recovering from one of its worst seasons, and tapping into the state’s abundant talent pool.
