Jai Lucas Returns to Face Florida as Miami’s Rising Coach
Jai Lucas’ path to his first head-coaching role didn’t go as he initially imagined. A McDonald’s All-American who started his college career at Florida and finished at Texas, Lucas played professionally for three seasons before moving into coaching — first at Texas, then Kentucky and finally Duke — where he quickly built a reputation as a top recruiter. In March, Miami named him its head coach, giving the 36-year-old control of a roster he has already begun to reshape.
If Lucas sounds like he was born for this, it’s because he essentially was.
“You know, for me, it was my family business,” he told ESPN Gainesville’s Sportscene with Steve Russell. “My dad was a former player and a coach. My brother was a former player. I grew up around the game, it’s one of my first loves.”
That lineage runs deep. His father, John Lucas II, played and coached in the NBA. His brother, John Lucas III, starred at Oklahoma State before his NBA career and coaching roles. Basketball was always the dinner-table default talk.
The coaching transition for Lucas happened sooner than expected.
“The transition was difficult because it occurred at 24,” Lucas said. “Every college player believes they’ll play forever. When that doesn’t happen, you step back and ask: How can I still be part of the team and the game? For me, that path was coaching.”
Texas provided the entry point, Kentucky boosted his profile and Duke refined it — first as an assistant, then as an associate head coach under Jon Scheyer.
Why Miami, and why now?
Lucas combines location, platform and the modern realities of NIL and the portal.
“Recruiting is something I became really good at,” he said. “I got to see a different side of Miami — the real Miami. With the brand, the location, the recent success, I felt this job has everything you need to be successful in this era.”
The fit became even clearer when Jim Larrañaga stepped down in December 2024, and Miami turned to Lucas in early March.
He also credits Duke with shaping his preparedness.
“One of the main reasons I took the job at Duke was working for a first-time head coach later. Those three years, starting and building that program with Coach Scheyer, have been a benefit to me for doing this job now,” Lucas said.
Eight months in, the early results suggest Lucas’ plan for the Hurricanes: size, speed, defensive commitment and quick portal development.
Miami started with an 86–69 win over Jacksonville with a renovated roster. Newcomers Malik Reneau (20 points) and Ernest Udeh Jr. (14 points, 14 rebounds) stole the spotlight, while five-star freshman Shelton Henderson showed big-stage composure.
“I like where we are right now … but I know we’re not where we need to be,” Lucas said of his 3–0 start. For Miami’s head coach, progress and patience are key.
For Gator fans, there’s inevitably a nostalgic touch. Lucas came to Gainesville in 2007 as a top-20 point guard, averaged 8.5 points as a freshman, then transferred to Texas — an early chapter he still talks about fondly.
“The University of Florida always has a special place in my heart,” Lucas said.
That connection will be front of mind Sunday, when the Gators and Miami meet at Jacksonville’s VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
“Everything around the game has changed — the portal, NIL — but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction,” Lucas said.
If Miami’s early tone is any indication, Lucas’s mix of recruiter’s instinct and builder’s patience is translating quickly. For one night in Jacksonville, the Gator Nation will get a close look at a familiar face writing his next chapter from the opposing sideline.
Category: Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Volleyball, Volleyball
