Jai Powell Lucas (born December 5, 1988) is an American basketball coach and former collegiate and professional player, currently serving as the 14th head coach of the University of Miami men’s basketball program. He was officially named head coach on March 6, 2025, after a rising assistant-coaching career at several high-major programs. Lucas came to Miami after three seasons at Duke University, where he spent one season as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach. At Duke, he established himself as a top recruiter and defensive strategist, playing a key role on staffs that posted nationally competitive records and defensive rankings. Throughout his coaching career, Lucas has been part of staffs at Duke, Kentucky, and Texas, contributing to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and helping land multiple high-profile recruiting classes.
Lucas’s journey in basketball began as a standout player in Houston, Texas, where he was a McDonald’s All-American and Parade All-America selection at Bellaire High School. He played collegiately at the University of Florida as a freshman before transferring to the University of Texas, where he completed his college career. After graduating from Texas, Lucas played professionally overseas and in the NBA Development League before transitioning into coaching in 2013. He began his coaching tenure at Texas, then served at Kentucky as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, followed by his influential stint at Duke. At Miami, Lucas has taken on the challenge of revitalizing the Hurricanes’ program, leveraging his recruiting acumen, defensive philosophies, and player development skills to build a competitive roster in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
