Leonard Hamilton profoundly sums up career, final game at Florida State

In 1971, Leonard Hamilton got his first college coaching job as an assistant coach at Austin Peay just before his 23rd birthday. It was the start of a career that took him to Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Miami and the NBA before he became synonymous with Florida State basketball.

Tuesday, more than 50 years after he first sat on the bench as a coach, Hamilton walked off the court for the final time. Florida State, despite a furious comeback, fell to Syracuse in the ACC tournament. Last month, Hamilton said he planned to step down at season’s end.

Tuesday night was that moment. Hamilton looked around the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, waving to the crowd a he went back for one final postgame speech to his team. But as he looked back on his career, he spoke about what it meant to make such an impact as a coach.

“I’ve been blessed to have an opportunity that not very many people ever have, to work with young people when they’re at their most vulnerable time – when they’re 17, 18 years old,” Hamilton told ACC Network’s Angel Gray afterward. “Being a part of helping them grow and trying to give them some direction to how they’re having to progress in their lives.

“I’m happy in some ways that I’m going to find another way to contribute and work with youngsters. I have some things in mind I want to do. But I’ve been blessed, and I’ve enjoyed the ride. It’s time to move on to the next chapter.”

Leonard Hamilton puts bow on historic career

Hamilton is a college basketball trailblazer. As a player at UT-Martin, he was first Black player to ever play in the program. When he joined Joe B. Hall’s staff at Kentucky in 1974, he became the first Black assistant coach in SEC history, and he stayed with the Wildcats until 1986 when he took over at Oklahoma State.

After four years with the Cowboys, Hamilton left for Miami, where he build the Hurricanes into a Sweet Sixteen program in 2000. That led him to the NBA with the Wizards, but after just one year, he returned to the college game at FSU. He built the program from the ground up, taking the Seminoles to 12 20-win seasons.

But despite the on-court achievements, Hamilton said his biggest responsibility as a coach was to prepare get athletes ready for the next phases of their lives – whether it’s on the basketball court or in life. As he looked back, that’s what he was most proud to do.

“I’m most grateful for the fact that the last 23 years, we’ve only had one or two kids not graduate at Florida State that’s with us for four years,” Hamilton said. “To me, that’s probably the most important thing we do as coaches. We get recognized for coach of the year awards and all the awards and stuff like that, but in reality, the most important thing is you really play a major part in helping not only this youngster, but his family, his kids. And then, they’ll go on and help someone else. Because that’s the most important thing, especially in the climate that we have now in college sports. You see that graduating and rates are not as much of an issue as other things might be.

“I felt that I’ve been true to my values, and I hope that I’ve helped some youngsters and I hope that I’ve done the very best I can for Florida State and all the other places I’ve been. I’m leaving with a smile on my face, but I’m more blessed realizing I’ve just had this unique and special opportunity. And I’ll cherish that forever.”

‘I think Florida State basketball’s in good hands’

Now, Leonard Hamilton is preparing to pass the torch to one of his former players. Luke Loucks will succeed him after Florida State announced his hiring last week. A longtime NBA assistant, he saw firsthand what it takes to build the Seminoles program.

During the interview process, Loucks said he was in touch with Hamilton, and he hopes his mentor will come back around when he can. As for the future of the program, Hamilton has Loucks’ back.

“There’s no doubt that Luke will understand the culture that you must build in order to be successful in the program,” Hamilton said. “It’s not only on the basketball court, but it’s in so many other ways – academically, socially, on the court, off the court, how you conduct yourself.

“The mindset you have to have to develop to become the best player you can become. He understands that totally. And I think Florida State basketball’s in good hands.”