University of Miami men’s basketball head coach Jai Lucas was named the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year, College Insider announced on Apr. 2.
The award is given annually to the nation’s top first-time head coach in Division I basketball, recognizing outstanding leadership and achievement during a debut season.
Lucas led the Hurricanes to a 26-9 record and secured a No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament after finishing with a 13-5 mark in league play. The team’s improvement of 19 wins from the previous season tied an NCAA record for largest turnaround.
During his first year as head coach, Lucas guided Miami to finish its regular season with 24 wins, matching a program record, and helped achieve 15 victories at Watsco Center—the second-most home wins in school history. He also became the fastest first-time head coach in ACC history to reach 20 wins since Bill Guthridge accomplished this feat at North Carolina during the 1997-98 season.
Lucas’s leadership contributed to Miami earning its thirteenth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
