Florida State men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton — the program’s winningest men’s basketball coach in their history — announced on Monday that he will resign from his
position following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
In his 23rd season leading the Seminoles, the 76-year-old Hamilton has a record of 434-290 with 16 postseason appearances, including eight NCAA tournament berths. Hamilton is also ranked 10th on the NCAA’s list of winningest active Division I coaches and is fifth among ACC coaches all time behind Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Dean Smith and Maryland’s Gary Williams.
Hamilton said in a statement: “I am deeply thankful for the tremendous support of our fans, alumni, and everyone associated with Florida State throughout my time here. 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.”
Florida State athletic director Michael Alford said in a statement: “Coach Hamilton’s personal character and integrity, and his leadership, set a tremendous standard for all of FSU Athletics. 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.”
Hamilton is facing a lawsuit filed by six former FSU players over alleged unpaid NIL compensation totaling $1.5 million. The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his “business partners,” with the lawsuit stating they walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a Feb. 17 game against Duke. According to the suit, they ended up playing amid a guarantee from Hamilton that they would be paid, but they never were.
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