On Monday afternoon, Florida State head men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton announced that he was stepping down at the end of this season after 23 years as the Seminoles’ head coach.
His decision will end a remarkable run at a school traditionally known as a football powerhouse, but which also became a place with a nationally recognized and respected basketball program thanks to Hamilton.
“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.
The 76-year-old coach has many accolades on his resume, particularly at FSU, where he became the program’s all-time winningest coach. He’s coached in 746 games for the Seminoles and currently has a record of 456-290.
In over two decades at FSU, he’s only had 3 losing seasons, one of which came in his first season with the program in 2002. He also led the team to 8 NCAA Tournament appearances; it should have been 9 but the Pandemic ended the season before the tournament, and the Seminoles were 26-5 at that point.
Hamilton’s head coaching career began in 1986 at Oklahoma State. He spent four years with the Cowboys, going 56-63.
He then moved to Miami to lead the then-independent Miami Hurricanes. In his second season, the team joined the Big East and in 10 years, he led the Canes to a 144-147 overall record, including 3 NCAA Tournament appearances and 1 Big East regular season championship.
He left after the 1999-2000 season to coach the NBA’s Washington Wizards but returned to the college sidelines in 2002 as the head coach of the Seminoles, where he’s been ever since.
Hamilton is proud of his career, and even prouder of the young men who played for him.
“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,” said Hamilton.
He coached at FSU during the era of the legendary Bobby Bowden. And while the football program got the largest share of attention, basketball held its own.
While the past three seasons have been disappointing for the Seminoles, this year showed promise. They started 13-5 but have lost the last 4, so they have work to do.
But regardless of how this season ends up, Hamilton’s place in the sport is cemented.
He ranks 10th in all-time wins amongst active coaches, and fifth all-time in the ACC behind legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Roy Williams and Dean Smith of North Carolina and Gary Williams of Maryland.
“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,” said FSU President Dr. Richard McCullough.
Hamilton is also a trailblazer in the sport, although he doesn’t view himself that way.
He was the first Black player at Tennessee-Martin. When he was hired by Joe B. Hall at Kentucky in 1974, he became the SEC’s first Black assistant. While there, he was part of the Wildcats 1978 national championship team and 1984 Final Four team.
Hamilton is also one of the most decorated coaches in the NCAA basketball.
He won Big East Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1999 and ACC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2020, making him the only person to earn multiple Coach of the Year honors in both the ACC and the Big East.
But to Hamilton, the awards aren’t the biggest form of satisfaction.
It’s what comes after his players take the next step in their lives that’s most gratifying.
“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.,” he said to the Florida Times-Union in a previous interview. “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.”
Leonard Hamilton is one of the few remaining Black father-figure coaches left from an iconic and esteemed group that includes men like John Thompson, John Chaney and Nolan Richardson.
And for that reason alone, his replacement will have very big shoes to fill both on and off the court.
