Jai Lucas reveals personal reason why he left Kentucky for Duke

Former Kentucky assistant coach Jai Lucas made a surprising move this offseason when he joined the Duke staff in a similar role under new head coach Jon Scheyer. While the move stunned many on both sides, given that he comes from outside the so-called “brotherhood” of the Blue Devils, he also comes as one of the brightest young coaches in the game.

During his introductory press conference, Jai Lucas explained one of the key reasons why he left Kentucky for Duke. Among many factors, the fact his 101-year old grandfather lives in Durham, North Carolina along with more than 60 cousins played a role.

“The opportunity to be at Duke and be with Coach Scheyer and the rest of the staff was really my main reason for doing it,” Lucas said, via Kentucky insider Jerry Tipton. “But then throwing in the family part and being able to be around them, because I haven’t been with how hectic my schedule is. So it was something I really wanted to do, and really wanted to be a part of is really just reconnecting with my family.”

Lucas also described the opportunity to move closer to his family as the “cherry on top” of a great opportunity to be a part of the Duke staff after Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement.

Jai Lucas joins Duke staff

On Friday, it was reported that the Duke Blue Devils were expected to hire Kentucky Wildcats assistant coach Jai Lucas to the same position on Jon Scheyer’s initial staff. Duke made that hire official on Monday.

Scheyer commented on the addition of Lucas to Duke’s staff in the release. He said that Lucas was everything Duke was looking for in an assistant.

“Jai embodies everything I was looking for in this role,” said Scheyer, via Marks. “I’ve been impressed by his winner’s mindset, great feel for the game, and strong work ethic. Through his impressive playing and coaching career, he has built extraordinary relationships across the basketball landscape and shown a unique ability to connect with student-athletes. I could not be more excited to welcome Jai, his wife, Kori, and his son, Jaxin, to Durham.”

Lucas is excited to be joining Scheyer’s staff at Duke, and he looks forward to being part of the first staff in the post-Mike Krzyzewski era.

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Duke University family,” Lucas said. “The opportunity to come to Duke and be a part of Jon Scheyer’s first staff was something I felt I could not pass up. I look forward to building on the foundation established by Mike Krzyzewski and the former Blue Devils, while helping Coach Scheyer usher in a new era of Duke Basketball.

“Durham is a special place for me, and I’m thrilled to get to be around so many of my family members.”