The Kentucky bench is going to be a crowded place when basketball returns to Rupp Arena.
In addition to the recent hire of Bruiser Flint to take Kenny Payne's spot on the UK staff, John Calipari added Texas assistant coach Jai Lucas to the Wildcats' program Monday in a newly created role that will focus on recruiting but touch all aspects of the team. The 31-year-old is seen in college basketball circles as a rising young star in the coaching ranks and leaves a position on Shaka Smart's staff in Austin for a job at Kentucky where he will not be one of the Wildcats' three assistant coaches.
The exact parameters of Lucas' role in Lexington are not yet clear, but the Herald-Leader was told last week that he is not expected to be one of the three coaches who _ in addition to Calipari _ will be representing Kentucky on the recruiting trail. His designation on UK's staff will also prevent him from an on-court coaching role during games.
Lucas' official title will be "special assistant to the head coach and recruiting coordinator." In his role as recruiting coordinator, Lucas will "independently manage official and unofficial visits and be responsible for all recruiting strategy for the program," according to a release by the school.
He is seen as a major asset to the Wildcats' program moving forward.
"The fact that they're getting him as an administrative guy _ an off-the-road guy _ we're talking about one of the best up and coming assistant coaches in America," Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans told the Herald-Leader. "So to have him be put into an off-the-road spot is big. And ... to get Lucas in there alongside Bruiser, and, of course, Tony Barbee, Joel Justus, (John Robic) _ that's as strong of a coaching staff as there is in college basketball."
Flint will join Barbee and Justus as the three assistant coaches on Calipari's staff. Robic, who has been with the UK program since Calipari's arrival in 2009, also holds the title of special assistant to the head coach and plays an integral part in the team's game-planning and opposition scouting.
Though he is not currently in one of the positions that include traveling to recruit off campus, Lucas will be able to participate in the video meetings that have become so popular with recruits and their families amid the NCAA's current ban on recruiting travel due to COVID-19, giving UK another prominent voice to sell its program during those conversations with prospects.
Lucas has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Texas following three seasons in a support staff role there. The Houston native also played for the Longhorns for two seasons. He originally chose Florida out of high school _ picking the Gators over Kentucky _ before transferring to Texas after one season in Gainesville.
During his time on the Texas coaching staff, Lucas _ a former McDonald's All-American point guard _ gained the reputation as a promising recruiter who could relate to high school prospects. He was instrumental in helping the Longhorns land top-10 national recruit Greg Brown in the most recent recruiting cycle, and he's expected to play a role in the Wildcats' recruiting efforts despite his non-coaching role.
"At the end of the day, he's still going to be recruiting," Evans said. "He might not be on the road, but there are still ways to do it."
His addition will give Calipari quite the coaching dynamic.
Robic and Flint have both been assistant coaches under Calipari going back to his earliest days as UMass head coach in the late 1980s. Flint succeeded Calipari as UMass head coach and later was the head coach at Drexel before most recently serving as an assistant at Indiana. Robic was the head coach at Youngstown State before rejoining Calipari at Memphis.
Barbee played for Calipari _ while Flint and Robic were assistant coaches _ at UMass and later served as an assistant coach there and at Memphis before becoming a head coach at UTEP and Auburn.
Justus, 38, was recently named by ESPN as one of the best college basketball coaches under 40, coming in at No. 25 in those rankings. (Lucas received an honorable mention on that list).
"When it comes to depth _ four or five guys who could all be running their own basketball programs, on the same staff _ that's pretty impressive," Evans said.
Calipari noted in Monday's release that Lucas is already familiar with UK's program after seriously considering the Wildcats as a high school star more than a decade ago.
"For our team to add a young but established and accomplished coach to our staff was an opportunity we were thrilled to have," Calipari said. "I've known the Lucas family for 25 years and followed Jai's career both as a player and as a coach. As our fans know, Jai was recruited here as a player and knows a lot about this program. I have always been impressed by the work he has done and the relationships he's created. Jai is another guy who everyone has respect for because of his work ethic and his players-first approach. He will be a great addition.
"With the staff we have assembled and the people who are a part of our program, I'm really excited to get started with this group. I like my team."
