Miami is making sure Jai Lucas isn’t going anywhere.
Lucas has agreed to a new five-year contract with the Hurricanes after delivering one of the most dramatic first-year turnarounds college basketball has seen in Coral Gables. The move comes just a year after Miami hired him away from Duke on a five-year deal in March of 2025, and it locks in the coach who quickly changed the program’s trajectory.
That turnaround started from a brutal place. Miami had crashed from its 2023 Final Four run to a 7-24 season and a last-place finish in the ACC. Under Lucas, that looked like a different program entirely.
The Hurricanes finished 26-9 in his first season, a 19-win jump that tied the NCAA Division I record for the biggest single-season improvement. Miami’s 24 regular-season wins also matched a program record. Considering Lucas had to build the roster from scratch, the year lands even harder as one of the most impressive rebuilds in recent memory.
Miami returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023 and made it to the second round before falling to No. 2 seed Purdue. The Hurricanes closed the year with 26 wins after managing just 22 over the previous two seasons combined.
The new deal also quiets the chatter that had started to build around Lucas’ future. He arrived in Coral Gables with a reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters, and after such a strong start as a head coach, speculation about a possible move had begun to surface.
For Miami fans, this is the kind of news that brings real relief. The uncertainty is gone, the coach is staying put, and the focus now shifts fully to what Lucas can do next.
In Other News...
Jordan Lyle Is Pushing His Way Into Miamis Toughest Position Battle
Jordan Lyle has made a strong early impression in Miamis 2026 fall camp, putting himself right into one of the Hurricanes most crowded position battles. The sophomore running back is coming off a nagging injury from 2025, but the first week of camp has suggested he is moving better and looking more like a player ready to factor into the rotation. With Mario Cristobal overseeing a deep backfield that already includes returning starters Mark Fletcher, Marty Brown and Girard Pringle, every rep has weight.
Cristobal has already pointed to Lyles improved physical traits and better health as part of what has stood out this August, which matters in a room where playing time will be earned, not handed out. For Miami, the upside is obvious: if Lyle keeps building on this start, the Hurricanes could have another back capable of forcing his way into an already tight competition. The next question is how far that momentum can carry once the practices get harder and the depth chart starts to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Put Miami In The Spotlight With His Nick Saban Talk
Mario Cristobal spent part of a recent ESPN College GameDay interview looking back at one of the most influential relationships in his coaching life, and he did it with plenty of humor. Speaking with Rece Davis, the Miami Hurricanes coach talked about his time working with Nick Saban, mixing in jokes and candid reflections that underscored how much that connection still means to him. The conversation also gave Cristobal a chance to touch on his broader coaching approach as Miami heads into another important stretch.
For Hurricanes fans, the interesting part was not just the stories from the past but the way Cristobal framed the present. He made it clear the two still exchange friendly messages, a reminder that even as Miami tries to build its own identity, the coachs ties to one of college footballs defining figures remain part of the backdrop. And with Miamis upcoming schedule in view, the exchange added another layer to the attention already surrounding Cristobal and his program. [Read more 🡒]