Duke HC Jon Scheyer gives stamp of approval to Jai Lucas amid Miami rumors: "Absolutely, he’s a head coach” 

Jon Scheyer has voiced his vote of confidence for Jai Lucas, who is set to become the new head coach of the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team.

The associate head coach of the Duke Blue Devils will replace Jim Larranaga, who announced on December 26 that he will be leaving the team.

Following the news on Sunday, Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer backed Jai Lucas to succeed as the new head coach at Miami.

“Absolutely, he’s a head coach,” Scheyer said. “No question about it. It’s part of why I hired him, you know, and the job he’s done for us has been incredible. Any report or anything that’s out there, you know, I’m just getting wind of it now, so we’ll cross that bridge and figure it out.

“But I can tell you, 100% Jay is an amazing coach. He’s been great for these guys, and we’ll continue to move forward together and figure all that out. But he’s, he’s terrific, man, all across the board, he’s great,” John Scheyer concluded as reported by NJ.

Jai Lucas has earned a reputation since deciding to pursue a coaching career. The 36-year-old started as an assistant coach with the Texas Longhorns under Rick Barnes in 2013.

He then moved to the Kentucky Wildcats where he was appointed as the special assistant and lead recruiter in 2020, under the guidance of John Calipari. Lucas then shifted to the Blue Devils following the appointment of Jon Scheyer in 2022.

Since joining the Blue Devils coaching staff, he has been a trusted assistant to coach Scheyer, playing a key role in helping the Blue Devils remain competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

NCAA Basketball: Duke Countdown to Craziness - Source: Imagn

Jon Scheyer leads Duke to fourth consecutive victories

The Duke Blue Devils continued their impressive form this season, extending their winning streak, notching wins over the California Golden Bears, the Stanford Cardinals, the Virginia Cavaliers, and the Illinois Fighting Illini respectively.

On Sunday, John Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils secured a comfortable 110-67 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Duke v Wake Forest - Source: Getty

Duke grasped their top spot in the ACC standings and boasts an overall record of 24-3 this season. They are also ranked No.2 in the AP ranking with 1406 points.

With only four games left in the season, Jon Scheyer's team is gearing up for their next game against the Miami Hurricanes at the BankUnited Center on Wednesday, a team that's reportedly set to be led by Jai Lucas soon.