Duke assistant Jai Lucas agrees to take over as Miami’s subsequent males’s basketball coach

Duke affiliate head coach Jai Lucas has agreed to change into the subsequent head coach at Miami, pending the completion of contract negotiations, an individual with data of the matter mentioned Saturday evening.

Lucas and the Hurricanes will work towards finalizing that contract within the coming weeks, mentioned the one who spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of neither facet has confirmed any particulars publicly.

A part of these negotiations would come with when Lucas would depart the Blue Devils and begin with the Hurricanes, whose common season ends March 8. The postseason — even an Atlantic Coast Convention event berth — is unlikely for Miami, which fell to 2-14 within the ACC and 6-21 total with a loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday evening.

Duke, in the meantime, is an NCAA Event lock and potential nationwide championship contender, led by participant of the 12 months candidate Cooper Flagg. Which means the Blue Devils may play till early April; the switch portal opens on March 24, and it is doubtless that Miami would desire a new coach in place by then to start the method of rebuilding a roster.

In a little bit of ironic timing, Duke performs at Miami on Tuesday evening — although it is not believed that Lucas and the Hurricanes will full contract negotiations by then. At Miami, Lucas would take over for Jim Larrañaga, who stepped down abruptly in December and was changed on an interim foundation by longtime Miami affiliate head coach Invoice Courtney.

The Hurricanes went to the Remaining 4 two seasons in the past and began final season with 11 wins of their first 13 video games. However since early January 2024, Miami has gone 10-36 — the worst report of any Division I energy convention faculty in that span — and 6-29 in opposition to ACC opponents.

The 36-year-old Lucas — the son of former NBA coach John Lucas — has been on coach Jon Scheyer’s workers at Duke for the previous three years, the latest two of these because the affiliate head coach.

Lucas is taken into account a high recruiter and was primarily liable for Duke successful the race to signal twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer final fall. The Boozer twins, the sons of former Duke star and NBA participant Carlos Boozer, dwell in Miami — and have been a high goal of the Hurricanes as effectively.

Lucas is also Duke’s defensive coordinator, the Blue Devils mentioned. He labored at Kentucky for 2 seasons as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, becoming a member of the Wildcats after seven years at Texas — his alma mater — the place he began as a particular assistant, then director of basketball operations and finally turned an assistant coach.

Reporting by The Related Press.

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