by Christy Cabrera Chirinos on miamihurricanes.com
Debbie Lucas couldn’t help but smile as she recounted the story.
Her husband – former NBA coach and star John Lucas II – would often sit down with their two young boys, John III and Jai, show them a basketball play and ask how they’d run it.
And even as a 7-year-old, Jai Lucas had answers. Good ones.
“John told me, even then, ‘Jai is going to be an unbelievable coach,’” Debbie Lucas said. “He saw something, being a coach, that we knew would help Jai take off.”
On Monday, Debbie and John Lucas II saw their son’s coaching career take off indeed.
The two were on campus at the University of Miami watching as Jai Lucas was formally introduced as the Hurricanes’ new head men’s basketball coach.
Understandably, it was a special moment.
John Lucas II – affectionately known in the family as “Big John” – wiped tears from his eyes as Jai Lucas thanked him and their family for its support, while Debbie Lucas used her phone to proudly capture every moment of their son’s press conference.
But amidst the pride in watching Jai Lucas take the reins of his own ACC program, there was also this: the belief that their son – a 12-year coaching veteran who has spent time at Duke, Kentucky and his alma mater, Texas as an assistant – is more than ready to now lead a program himself.
“He’s always wanted to be a basketball coach,” John Lucas II said. “He’s done the footsteps. He didn’t miss any steps. I didn’t make one phone call. And to see where he is today, and to hear him talk. … I told my wife, ‘He’s prepared.’”
Said Debbie Lucas, “I’ve always known that this moment would come. … He’s going to put his all in it and it’s going to be totally different. He still gets out on the court, he runs with the players, he’s going to do it all. … I know he’s young, but he’s ready. He’s really ready.”
Miami – and several big names in the basketball world – agree.
Since being announced as the Hurricanes’ head coach last week, Jai Lucas has earned high praise from the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, who both coached and hired Lucas at Texas, among others.
And on Monday, Miami Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said Lucas’ knowledge of the game, innovation, adaptability, and recruiting chops all helped make him the right fit for the Hurricanes, particularly given today’s ever-changing college basketball landscape.
“Jai is an innovative coach. He’s a tireless recruiter and a proven talent developer,” Radakovich said. “He has coached at some of college basketball’s most storied programs and has learned under some of college basketball’s greatest minds. Jay understands what it takes to compete, on and off the court. He sees great potential here at the University of Miami and he is ready to hit the ground running as our head coach. In short, we believe for our Miami Hurricanes, Jai is the right leader at this new time in college basketball.”
Lucas comes to Miami after spending the last three seasons at Duke, where he served as associate head coach the last two years.
In both of those years, he helped the Blue Devils secure the nation’s top recruiting class and served as Duke’s defensive coordinator.
The Blue Devils – who currently sit atop the AP Top 25 and just clinched the ACC regular-season title – are ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense (61.4 points per game) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (38.2).
The coach said Monday he’d bring that same effort – and drive – to Miami.
“I can promise you one thing: we will be relentless in everything we do,” Lucas said. “Defensively, our resistance to keep the other team out of the paint will be relentless. Our pursuit to make sure that every shot is contested will be relentless. And then lastly, I’m a defensive guy, so I just believe it is what wins championships and that’s what we will hang our hat on.
“Offensively, we’ll be relentless in the amount of pressure we put on you in transition. We will be relentless in hunting for the best shot we can get every possession and then lastly, we’ll be relentless in our attention to executing with detail. We’ll be relentless in everything we do, especially to create and sustain championship-level success here at the University of Miami.”
In outlining his vision for Miami’s program – one he stressed was built on a strong foundation, thanks in large part to former head coach Jim Larrañaga, who stepped down in December after 13-plus seasons with the Hurricanes – Lucas noted he will put a premium on relationships, development and competition.
Those things, he said, will help take Hurricanes basketball to the next level.
He also made it clear he wants the entire Miami community – from students, to alumni, and the community as a whole – to be a part of his and the Hurricanes’ journey moving forward.
“We need to control the controllables, dominate the details and understand what is important in that moment right then,” Lucas said. “There’s a process to winning. We will not cheat the process because we value winning. I can promise you that. To the students, to the alumni and to the city of Miami. This is your team. I want you to take ownership in it. We can’t be our best version of ourselves if we don’t have you behind us. We need you.”
Now that Lucas has been formally introduced as Miami’s coach, the work of putting his stamp on the program truly begins.
The coach said Monday he met with the current Hurricanes on Sunday night and offered them his support. With the transfer portal window opening later this month, recruiting and building a roster will be a massive priority.
And he has to put together a staff, something he understands might prove a bit challenging, given that many coaches across the country are preparing for conference tournaments and potentially, the NCAA Tournament.
Still, Lucas said, he is eager to get to work and to help Miami build on the success it had under Larrañaga, including six NCAA Tournament appearances, the program’s first Final Four berth in 2023, an ACC Tournament title in 2013 and two ACC regular-season titles in 2013 and 2023.
“Not only will the team be relentless, but I will be relentless,” Lucas said. “I understand this opportunity. I have prayed and worked for this my whole life, and I will not take it for granted. I will give you everything I have. I can promise you that. … We’ll be relentless in our pursuit to make the fans, everybody here and the whole city of Miami happy.”
