Coming off a historic 26-9 season, Jai Lucas is secured for five more years.
MIAMI, Fla. – Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball head coach Jai Lucas signed a five-year extension, first reported by the Associated Press.
After a remarkable 26-9 inaugural season, the 37-year-old is secured in Coral Gables for the foreseeable future. Lucas had four years left on his original five-year contract. The extension comes with a raise, but specifics weren’t shared.
The Hurricanes took a chance on Lucas, who had no college head-coaching experience before getting hired. He served as an assistant at Texas, Kentucky, and Duke over 12 seasons. Lucas had no returning players and needed to start from scratch. He brought in six transfers, including Tre Donaldson, Malik Reneau, and Ernest Udeh Jr.
Lucas had a reputation for being a strong high school recruiter. He made use of those skills and lured Sheldon Henderson and Dante Allen to Coral Gables, both of whom previously pledged to other programs.
After assembling a 13-player roster, the Hurricanes, who went 7-24 in the 2024-25 season, had the biggest turnaround in men’s college basketball. The program returned to March Madness for the first time since the historic 2023 Final Four run and reached the second round. Despite falling short of the Sweet 16, the Hurricanes’ trajectory is trending upward.
Lucas established a new foundation and is looking to take things a step further. After retaining Henderson and Allen, the rest of the roster was built with eight transfers and an international signing (Russian native Egor Ryzhov). The Hurricanes should be among the frontrunners to win the Atlantic Coast Conference and return to the NCAA Tournament.
Although Lucas and the team likely won’t be considered favorites to win the National Championship, it doesn’t stop them from chasing it. The Hurricanes defied the odds with last season’s success, including a standout win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Lucas finished second in the ACC Coach of the Year race, 32 votes behind Blue Devils’ Jon Scheyer.
The Hurricanes on the court haven’t found much success, compared to football and baseball. A National Championship has yet to be claimed and the last ACC Crown came in the 2012-13 season.
Lucas has made basketball in Coral Gables relevant again. Along with a new roster, he put together a strong schedule – both non-conference and ACC play – for the 2026-27 season. Lucas doesn’t shy from facing elite competition, which can help sharpen the Hurricanes into a National Championship contender.
A trip to Tampa for a meeting against the Florida Gators on Nov. 2 will begin the action.
