It has been nearly two weeks since UNC chose to part ways with head coach Hubert Davis after the embarrassing upset loss to VCU in the NCAA Tournament. Since then, three coaches who were in the running have received contract extensions, and now new names are coming to the surface.
It seems Miami head coach Jai Lucas could be one of those new names, and UNC fans must be dreaming if they think Lucas is going to take the bait. It makes sense why UNC fans would love to have Lucas with his wealth of experience under great coaches as an assistant, and also what he did in his first year with the Hurricanes.
Decent amount of Jai Lucas shouts from #UNC fans over the last 24.
— Jacob Turner (@JacobTurnerNC) April 4, 2026
Played for Billy Donovan + Rick Barnes. Assistant under Barnes, Shaka, Calipari, and at Duke before doing an impressive job at Miami in year one. Elite recruiter, too.
Yay or nay?
The Duke-UNC rivalry alone could have Jai Lucas turning down the Tar Heels
In his first season with Miami, Jai Lucas made quite the impression with a 26-9 record, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and an NCAA Tournament win in the first round. Lucas was able to effectively use the transfer portal to build a roster that nearly took down two-seed Purdue in the Round of 32.
When Lucas came from Duke, there was hope that he would bring the success the Blue Devils have seen for years. Not only was Lucas coaching under Jon Scheyer, but he also has experience coaching under Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, as well as Arkansas coach John Calipari.
Former Florida and current Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was another coach Lucas worked with closely, especially being coached by him in college. Donovan is another name thrown around a lot for the UNC opening as well.
Here is a point that UNC fans should look at, though, as well. Lucas, while he didn't attend Duke, did coach there for four seasons and was known as one of the top recruiters in the country with the Blue Devils. The Duke-UNC rivalry runs very deep, and while it may seem funny, it could play a part in his not wanting the job.
Lucas has it good with Miami right now, and leaving after just one season doesn't make any sense, so UNC can just keep on dreaming about landing Lucas.