Current Florida State, Former Miami Head Coach Leonard Hamilton Announces Resignation
Another head coach is being left behind in the new era of college basketball as long-time Florida State coach, and former Miami Hurricanes coach Leonard Hamilton announced that he is resigning at the end of the season.
“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. “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.”
In just a few years during his Miami tenure, Hamilton earned three straight bids in the NCAA Tournament from 1988-1990. In 2000, his last year leading the ‘Canes, UM made it through to the Sweet-16 for the first time in school history; a year in which they won a record 23 games, and finished the season with a Top-25 national ranking for the first time in nearly four decades.
The ACC has seen legendary coaches hang up the mantle over the past few years. Roy Williams stepped down from UNC following the 2021 season, Coach K from Duke following the 2022 season, Tony Bennett shockingly retired from Virginia before the season, and Jim Larranaga stepped down during winter break.
It is worth noting that Hamilton is currently being sued by six former Florida State basketball players for missing NIL payments that total $250,000 per player. Another NIL issue that will cause a coach to step away from the game.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at justice.sandle111@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@Justice_News5.
