Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton announced Monday he’s stepping down at the end of the season, ending a 23-year career in Tallahassee.
Hamilton, 76, will end his Florida State tenure as the winningest coach in school history and in the top five in wins in the history of the ACC. During his time with the Seminoles, Hamilton guided the program to the 2020 ACC regular-season title and eight NCAA tournament appearances. He also advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament on four occasions.
“I am deeply thankful for the tremendous support of our fans, alumni, and everyone associated with Florida State throughout my time here,” Hamilton said. “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.
“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. 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 is being sued by six former players basketball players from the 2023-24 team, alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation.
The plaintiffs — Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley — filed suit in Leon County circuit court, and their attorney, Fort Lauderdale-based Darren Heitner, shared the 20-page complaint.
The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his “business partners.” The lawsuit says they walked out of a practice in the past season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a Feb. 17 game against Duke. They ended up playing — the Seminoles lost — amid a guarantee from Hamilton that they would be paid but they never were, according to the suit.
Hamilton’s best stretch in charge of Florida State came from 2017-21, guiding the Seminoles to three Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight run in 2018. That five-year span featured three top-four NCAA tournament seeds and the ACC regular-season championship in 2020. Florida State won at least one game in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.
“Coach Hamilton’s personal character and integrity, and his leadership, set a tremendous standard for all of FSU Athletics,” athletic director Michael Alford said. “Few people have been as important in building the positive reputation of Seminole Athletics. 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.”
Florida State has struggled in recent years, as this will be its fourth consecutive season without an NCAA tournament appearance. The Seminoles haven’t finished above .500 in ACC play since 2021, going 10-10 on two occasions. They started off positively this season, winning seven of their first eight games, but they have lost their past four games and currently sit at 13-9 overall, 4-7 in the ACC.
“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,” university 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.”
Prior to taking over at Florida State in 2002, Hamilton was the head coach of the Washington Wizards for one season after spending 10 seasons at Miami — going to three NCAA tournament appearances — and four seasons at Oklahoma State. He was also an assistant coach at Kentucky and Austin Peay.
Alford said Florida State will immediately begin a national search for Hamilton’s successor.
Hamilton is the third ACC coach to announce his resignation in the past four months, following Virginia’s Tony Bennett in October and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga in late December.
