Leonard Hamilton's era at Florida State will end with the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, the head coach announced on Monday afternoon.
The 76-year-old Hamilton has coached at FSU for 23 seasons, winning an ACC Tournament title in March 2012 after defeating Miami, Duke and North Carolina on consecutive days. The Seminoles also won the 2019-20 regular-season ACC title when the pandemic halted any postseason play.
FSU has lost four straight games, including three on the road, and is 13-9 going into Tuesday night's home matchup with Notre Dame. He is also in the final year of his contract, which pays him $2.25 million annually.
Hamilton led FSU to an Elite Eight berth in 2018 and Sweet 16 appearances in 2019 and '21. The 2019-20 team was viewed as among FSU's best, and ESPN analyst Dick Vitale wrote a book about how the Seminoles would have won the national title.
But since the trip to the Sweet 16 in March 2021, FSU hoops has missed the NCAA Tournament as well as the NIT. The Seminoles have gone 56-62 in the four seasons, including an injury-riddled 9-23 year in 2022-23.
“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 FSU. “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 told the Seminoles of his decision to retire at the end of the season with a team meeting on Monday at 3 p.m. He will coach FSU's final nine regular-season games and the ACC Tournament.
While there have been struggles on the court, adjusting to the transfer portal and generating enough NIL contributions to compete in the ACC, Hamilton has graduated nearly all of FSU's four-year players since arriving in Tallassee more than two decades ago.
“My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people," Hamilton said. "I'm very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets. 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."
Hamilton was sued by six players on the 2023-24 team for what they viewed as unfulfilled NIL obligations. A source indicated to the Osceola that the lawsuit was not a factor in this decision by Hamilton.
But Hamilton's retirement continues a difficult trend in college athletics. Tony Bennett stepped down from Virginia in October, while Jim Larrañaga retired from Miami on Dec. 26.
FSU announced in the statement that a national search will begin for a new head coach. The opening of the transfer portal in mid-March is a key date ahead of the hiring of the new coach.
“I’m excited for the future of men’s basketball at Florida State,” FSU athletics director Michael 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.”
Hamilton's weekly coach's show has been moved to Wednesday night at Glory Days.
We've been chatting about the future of FSU hoops on the Osceola Village
The Osceola's Bob Ferrante and Curt Weiler will host a special edition of Seminole Sidelines on our YouTube channel on Monday afternoon
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