The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
04.09.2015 | Men's Basketball
Former UT player and Special Assistant elevated to operations position on Shaka Smart’s staff.
AUSTIN, Texas — A former player and special assistant at The University of Texas, Jai Lucas has been named Men's Basketball Director of Operations at Texas, Head Coach Shaka Smart announced Thursday. The 26-year-old Lucas begins his appointment immediately.
"I had the opportunity to work with Jai as an assistant coach at Florida, and I was really impressed by his understanding of the game and ability to relate to his teammates at that time," Smart said. "Fast forward seven-plus years, I've been incredibly impressed with him in the short time since I arrived here. Everyone I have talked to, including our players, has spoken glowingly about him and his impact on this program. Jai played here and is from the state of Texas, and he has terrific relationships around Texas. Most importantly, he has phenomenal potential in this profession."
Lucas spent the past two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) as a special assistant on the coaching staff at Texas. In that role, he assisted in all internal operations of the basketball program.
Prior to joining the Texas staff, Lucas played three seasons professionally. He played two years in the National Basketball Association Development League (NBA D-League), where he saw action with the Idaho Stampede (2012-13) and the Canton Charge (2013), and one year overseas in Latvia with BK Valmiera in the Baltic Basketball League (2011-12).
A guard who played in 58 career games (one start) during his two seasons at UT (2009-10 and 2010-11), Lucas scored a total of 169 points and recorded a 70-to-40 assist-to-turnover ratio in 662 minutes played while helping the Longhorns to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. He earned his bachelor's degree in corporate communication in 2011.
Lucas spent his freshman season (2007-08) and the Fall 2008 semester at The University of Florida and earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team. Smart was an assistant coach at Florida during the 2008-09 season. Lucas started all 36 games as a freshman, helping Florida post a 24-12 record and advance to the Postseason NIT semifinals. He transferred from Florida and enrolled at Texas beginning in the Spring 2009 semester.
A 2007 graduate of Bellaire High School in Houston, Lucas was a McDonald's All-American, a Jordan Brand All-American and a Parade All-America Second Team selection as a senior. He was a three-year starter and three-time District 21-5A Player of the Year who led Bellaire to three consecutive district titles.
Born Dec. 5, 1988, Lucas is a native of Houston, Texas.
| Birthdate | December 5, 1988 |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Houston, Texas |
| Education | The University of Texas; bachelor's degree in corporate communication, 2011 |
