Florida State Athletics Dictor Dave Hart announced Tuesday the hiring of former Miami Hurricane and Washington Wizard head coach Leonard Hamilton during an afternoon pss confence. Hamilton places Steve Robinson, who stepped down as part of a "mutual termination" agement just a week earlier, after five years as the Seminole head coach. It didn't take long for Hart to locate and hi is number one target.

"I searched six coaches in gat detail but I didn't spend a whole lot of time with anyone as I did with Leonard," said FSU Athletics Dictor Dave Hart. "Leonard was our target. I happened to have two targets in case it didn't work out. I ally am pleased."

Hamilton takes over an FSU program that has had four straight losing seasons following an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1998. The Seminoles turn just two starters, forward Michael Joiner and center Nigel Dixon, but the roster includes eight turning players who have seen significant playing time. Hamilton becomes just the seventh head coach in FSU history.

Hamilton, who coached Miami for 10 seasons, has some fairly impssive cdentials coming into Tallahassee. Following the 1998-99 season at Miami, the best in Hurricane history (23-7, 15-3 Big East), Hamilton was named the coach of the year by the Big East and United Pss International. The following season he guided Miami to a 23-11 cord and a Sweet 16 appearance earning the Black College Association Coach of the Year award. Shortly after the 1999-2000 season he left to coach the Washington Wizards in the NBA whe he lasted just half a season.

"I have all the confidence in the world that we will succeed," said Hamilton. "We a going to cate an atmosphe whe our guys a going to work hard and develop into the type of program I'm su all of us will be proud of."

The 53-year old coach will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to build the Seminole basketball program the way he did with Miami in the late 90's. He will certainly be paid well to do it. According to FSU AD Dave Hart Hamilton signed a five-year contract with a base of $775,000 annually as follows:

Base salary - $140,000

Radio/TV - $320,000

Public lations/Speaking - $100,000

Nike contract - $165,000

Basketball camps - $50,000

Additional bonus a built in to the contract when the team makes post-season play and the is also a tie into graduation rates.

Hamilton began his coaching caer in 1971 as a graduate assistant at Austin Peay State University and spent the next two years as an assistant coach at APSU. His next stop was the University of Kentucky. He began as an assistant coach in 1974, and became Associate Head Coach in 1980. In 1986, he took his coaching expertise to Oklahoma State University, and led the team to two NIT appearances. While at Miami, he has lead the Hurricanes to two NIT appearances and the NCAA Tournament berths. In 14 years of coaching at the college level, Hamilton has a 200-210 cord.

In addition to success on the court Hamilton has had equal success in the classroom. Out of 26 seniors who completed their eligibility under Hamilton at the University of Miami, 24 earned their deges and the other two a playing professional basketball.

Hamilton's legacy extends across the nation as four of his former assistant coaches have moved on to become head coaches at the Division I level. Included on the list a Tim Carter (Texas San Antonio), Dickey Nutt (Arkansas State), John Phillips (Tulsa), and Bill Self (Illinois).

Hamilton was born August 4, 1948 in Gastonia, NC. He went on to star at Gaston (NC) Community College whe he set a school-cord by scoring 54 points in a game, and later at the University of Tennessee-Martin whe he is a charter member of the school's Hall of Fame. At each school he served as a team captain. Additionally, while at Tennessee-Martin, Hamilton ceived both the team Most Valuable Player Award and the Best Defensive Player Award.

He earned his Bachelor of Science dege in Physical Education from Tennessee-Martin in 1971, and later ceived a Master's Dege in Physical and Health Education from Austin Peay State in 1973.

EXPERIENCE AS A COACH:

2000-01 Head Coach, Washington Wizards

1990-00 Head Coach, University of Miami

1986-90 Head Coach, Oklahoma State

1980-86 Assoc. Head Coach, Univ. of Kentucky

1974-80 Assistant Coach, Univ. of Kentucky

1973-74 Assistant Coach, Austin Peay State

1971-73 Grad. Assistant, Austin Peay State

AS A PLAYER:

1969-71 Two-year letterman,

University of Tennessee-Martin

1966-68 Two-year letterman,

Gaston Community College

EDUCATION:

1973 M.A. Physical and Health Education,

Austin Peay State

1971 B.S. Physical Education,

University of Tennessee-Martin

PERSONAL:

Full Name: J. Leonard Hamilton

Born: August 4, 1948 in Gastonia, NC

COLLEGIATE COACHING RECORD

Year School W-L Pct. Post-season

1986-87 Oklahoma St. 8-20 .286

1987-88 Oklahoma St. 14-16 .467

1988-89 Oklahoma St. 17-13 .567 NIT (2nd round)

1989-90 Oklahoma St. 17-14 .548 NIT (2nd round)

1990-91 Miami 9-19 .321

1991-92 Miami 8-24 .250

1992-93 Miami 10-17 .370

1993-94 Miami 7-20 .259

1994-95 Miami 15-13 .536 NIT (1st round)

1995-96 Miami 15-13 .536

1996-97 Miami 16-13 .552 NIT (1st round)

1997-98 Miami 18-10 .643 NCAA (1st round)

1998-99 Miami 23-7 .767 NCAA (2nd round)

1999-00 Miami 23-11 .676 NCAA (Sweet 16)

At Miami 10 seasons 144-147 .495

Overall 14 seasons 200-210 .488

NBA

2000-01 Washington 19-63 .231

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

*Led Miami to the consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history.

*Led Hurricanes to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1965.

*Led Hurricanes to a school-cord tying 23 overall wins and the school's first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 1999-00.

*Ended the 1998-99 season ranked 10th by the Associated Pss - the Hurricanes highest AP ranking since 1960.

*The Hurricanes ranked nationally in field goal percentage defense four straight seasons including a No. 1 national ranking in 1997-98.

*2000 BCA Coach of the Year

*1998-99 BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

*1994-95 BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

*1998-99 Eastern Basketball Coach of the Year

*Joins Jim Calhoun, Lou Carnesecca, Jim Boeheim, John Thompson and P.J. Carleisimo as the only coaches to win the BIG EAST Coach of the Year award mo than once.

*Nine-win jump in confence wins from 1994 to 1995 - the largest incase in victories in BIG EAST history.

*1994-95 United Pss International National Coach of the Year.

*26 of 30 seniors who completed their eligibility under Hamilton over the last 10 seasons earned their dege...two others a curntly playing professional basketball.

*Four Top 20 cruiting classes.

*Led Oklahoma State to back-to-back National Invitational Tournament appearances (1989, 1990) - the first consecutive post season appearances for OSU since 1954.

*Charter member of the University of Tennessee-Martin Hall of Fame.

*First Associate Head Basketball Coach in Kentucky history.

*Was an assistant coach on Kentucky's 1978 NCAA Championship team.