Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton announced Monday that will he will resign as Seminoles coach at the end of this season.
Hamilton, 76, is in his 23rd season at Florida State and 37th overall as a head coach. According to the school, he has an official 434-290 record at Florida State and 634-500 overall, including stints at Oklahoma State (1986-90) and Miami (1991-2000).
“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 news release. “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.”
The men’s basketball program had 22 wins from the 2006-07 season vacated due to the athletic department-wide academic fraud scandal that involved 61 athletes over numerous sports.
Hamilton guided Florida State to the Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament on four occasions — including an Elite Eight run in 2018. The Seminoles also reached the Sweet 16 in 2011, 2019 and 2021. Hamilton also took Miami to the Sweet 16 in 2000.
According to Florida State, Hamilton was national Coach of the Year on three occasions and has had 19 players chosen in the NBA draft.
But recent times haven’t been as rosy as the Seminoles missed the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons and aren’t in a good position this season after dropping their past four games.
On Saturday, Florida State led by four over Boston College with less than 10 seconds remaining. Boston College made a basket with seven seconds left, stole the ball and made a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left to post a stunning 77-76 victory.
The Seminoles (13-9, 4-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) host Notre Dame on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
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