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Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton resigning
Leonard Hamilton – the all-time winningest men’s basketball coach in Florida State University history who also played a notable role in breaking the color barrier in the sport both as a player and coach – is resigning as the Seminoles’ head coach effective at the end of the season, his 23rd at the school, the Tallahassee Democrat has learned.
After months of discussion with FSU leadership, Hamilton, 76, announced his resignation Monday afternoon.
“I am deeply thankful for the tremendous support of our fans, alumni, and everyone associated with Florida State throughout my time here,” Hamilton said in a statement released by the university.
“I am proud of the quality of the young men that it was my privilege to lead, for their faith in this program and in their belief in the philosophy that we tried to instill in them over the years. I have been blessed beyond words for the opportunity and the experience we’ve had here.”
Hamilton’s resignation comes two days after the Seminoles tumbled to their fourth consecutive defeat as they squandered an eight-point lead in the final minute and lost at Boston College, 77-76. FSU is 13-9 overall and 4-7 in Atlantic Coast Conference play heading into Tuesday’s home game against Notre Dame (10-11, 4-6) at 7 p.m.
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Hamilton, in the final year of a five-year contract extension that pays him $2.25 million annually plus bonuses, has been a mainstay in Tallahassee and college basketball. He has also coached during an era at FSU that featured fellow iconic coaches Bobby Bowden in football and Mike Martin in baseball.
“My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people. I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets,” Hamilton said.
“Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons. We were a consistent contender, and we created success for our players during their time here. So many of them have gone on to be successful in life. I hope that it will be remembered as my legacy. I look forward to working with our administration during this transition and being as helpful as possible through this process.”
It appears Hamilton is keeping his options open for the future as he did not mention retirement in the university’s release. Hamilton could also remain involved as an advisor to athletics on men’s basketball issues, according to FSU sources.
FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said the university will immediately begin a national search for Hamilton’s successor.
“Leonard Hamilton’s personal character and integrity, and his leadership, set a tremendous standard for all of FSU Athletics,” Alford said. “Few people have been as important in building the positive reputation of Seminole Athletics as he. FSU’s stature as one of the leading brands in college sports has been possible, in part, to his leadership of our men’s basketball program.
“He steadily developed a culture of excellence that reflects his personal values: commitment to academic success, competitive success, community service, leadership, and ongoing personal excellence. The success of the men who have been part of our basketball program is proof of that legacy.”
FSU’s Leonard Hamilton ranks 10th all-time in wins among active coaches
FSU opened this season with plenty of promise at 13-5. However, the Seminoles have been unable to sustain their momentum. They have nine regular season games remaining, including back-to-back games against visiting North Carolina Feb. 24 and at Duke March 1. FSU has five home games left.
Earlier this season, six former FSU players sued Hamilton, alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation. The lawsuit is the latest in a growing number of NIL legal battles.
As head coach at FSU, Hamilton has compiled an overall record of 434-290, including a mark of 196-186 in ACC regular season games. Hamilton has led the Seminoles to 16 postseason appearances and 12 20-win seasons.
He currently ranks 10th on the NCAA’s list of winningest active Division I coaches and is fifth all-time in the ACC behind Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Roy Williams and Dean Smith of North Carolina and Gary Williams of Maryland.
Hamilton is the longest-tenured men’s basketball coach in the ACC and second-oldest active Division I coach, leading the Seminoles to three NCAA Tournament Sweet 16s (2011, 2019, 2021) and one Elite Eight (2018).
“Leonard Hamilton is a beacon of class and integrity whose leadership serves as an indelible example that competitive excellence, academic achievement and community service are attainable at a leading public institution,” FSU President Dr. Richard McCullough said.
“Coach Hamilton’s legacy extends far beyond Tallahassee and college basketball. He is one of the most respected and beloved ambassadors of FSU across the nation and in his profession.”
Alford is confident the Seminoles will attract a quality candidate to replace Hamilton.
“I’m excited for the future of men’s basketball at Florida State,” Alford said. “Thanks to Coach Hamilton’s excellent stewardship and leadership, it has been proven that Florida State can be a contender in the ACC and nationally. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on what he has accomplished here as we identify the next leader of our program.”
FSU men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton: ‘I was built for this’
In his 37th season as a college coach, Hamilton – a native of Gastonia, North Carolina – boasts a career record of a 634-500 (.559 winning percentage) to rank among the top 100 winningest across all NCAA levels.
Hamilton led FSU to its first ever ACC Championship in 2012 and guided the Seminoles to a school-record four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2009-12. During a five-year span from 2015 to 2020, FSU went 124-48, punctuated by program’s first ACC regular-season title in 2019-20.
Previous stops include Oklahoma State (1986-1990) and Miami (1990-2000), where he was the UPI National Coach of the Year in 1995. Hamilton has earned three national Coach of the Year honors and was named the conference Coach of the Year five times. He is the only person to earn multiple Coach of the Year honors in both the ACC and the Big East.
Hamilton also coached the Washington Wizards during the 2000-01 season with Michael Jordan as the team’s president of basketball operations.
While Hamilton has preferred to look at his accomplishments as a trailblazing Black coach and player in a different way, his impact has been significant.
He was the first Black player at Tennessee-Martin and was the SEC’s first Black assistant when Joe B. Hall hired him at Kentucky in 1974. Hamilton was a part of Kentucky teams that won a national championship in 1978 and went to the Final Four in 1984.
“I’ve always been reluctant to put labels. Some kinds of labels mean certain things to different people,” Hamilton told the Democrat in a previous interview.
“I just think I was very fortunate to come along at a time when opportunities were not as available for African-American guys, but I always seemed to have been able to slide into situations that were available I’ve always felt a hedge of protection around me. I’ve always felt that my steps have always been ordered…
“I was built for this.”
Leonard Hamilton’s FSU basketball teams known for defense
Hamilton’s FSU teams have been known for stingy team defense, athleticism, winning mentality and academics.
Nineteen players have been NBA Draft selections, with nearly half (nine) going in the first round, led by No. 4 overall selection Patrick Williams in 2020 and Scottie Barnes in 2021. He has coached 24 All-ACC selections, 13 ACC All-Defensive Team selections, four ACC Sixth Man of the Year recipients and two ACC Defensive Players of the Year.
And 97% of Hamilton’s players who have stayed four years at FSU have graduated. His team produced a program-record 3.16 grade-point average in the spring of 2023, highlighted by 10 individual GPAs of at least 3.0.
Hamilton’s legacy also extends nationally as 12 of his former assistants have been head coaches at the Division I level.
Hamilton earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Tennessee-Martin in 1971 and received his Master’s in Physical and Health Education from Austin Peay State in 1973. He has been inducted into seven different Halls of Fame, including Miami and FSU.
Outside of basketball, two of Hamilton’s greatest passions are his family and gospel music. When asked how he measures success, Hamilton quickly points to his players.
“I have a lot of trophies, awards and rings, but what I enjoy most is attending [player] weddings, getting calls on Father’s Day, guys seeking advice on major decisions. Those are the coaching rewards,” Hamilton told the Florida Times-Union in a previous interview.
“If I only evaluate my success with NCAA trips and Coach of the Year awards, then I can’t look at myself in the mirror. If I’m not impacting young men to grow with the tools I’ve been given, I haven’t done my job. You’re taking people at the most important part of their life – teenagers going into adulthood – and trying to develop not just basketball players, but good husbands, fathers and citizens.
“That part of the process goes unnoticed.”
Here are FSU coach Leonard Hamilton’s career honors
- Winningest Coach in Florida State History
- 5th All-Time Winningest Coach in ACC History
- 1995 UPI National Coach of the Year
- 2000 BCA National Coach of the Year
- 2009 Basketball Times National Coach of the Year
- 2018 Clarence “Big House” Gaines National Coach of the Year
- 2021 Ben Jobe National Minority Coach of the Year
- 2009, 2012 and 2020 ACC Coach of the Year
- 1995 and 1999 Big East Coach of the Year
- 2016-17 Midseason National Coach of the Year
Here’s the ACC’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coaches
- Mike Krzyzewski – 1981-2022 (42 years): 1,129-309
- Dean Smith – 1962-1997 (36 years): 879-254
- Roy Williams – 2004-2021 (18 years): 485-163
- Gary Williams – 1990-2011 (22 years): 461-252
- Leonard Hamilton – 2003-current (22 years): 434-290
Jim Henry is sports editor of the Tallahassee Democrat. Email him at jjhenry@tallahassee.com.
After 19 seasons at the helm of the Florida State basketball program, head coach Leonard Hamilton has announced his resignation.
Hamilton, who led the Seminoles to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 berth in 2018, cited personal reasons for his decision to step down.
During his tenure, Hamilton helped elevate the Florida State basketball program to new heights, earning a reputation as one of the top coaches in the ACC.
As the search for a new head coach begins, Seminole fans are grateful for Hamilton’s contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
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