FSU Head Coach Leonard Hamilton Comments On Possibility Of Retirement
Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton is gearing up for his 23rd season at the reins in Tallahassee. After recording a 26-37 record over the past two years, there's been some skepticism about how long the soon-to-be 75-year-old plans to remain with the program.
Hamilton has two years remaining on a five-year contract that he signed in 2021 which pays him $2.25 annually plus bonuses. That number has been a bargain for the Seminoles compared to the salaries of other coaches around the country and in the ACC.
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Though he is one of the oldest coaches in college basketball, Hamilton has made it clear that he's not planning to step away from the game anytime soon. In a recent comment to Stadium's Basketball Analyst, Jeff Goodman, he stated that he's looking forward to getting the Seminoles back on track.
"I'm about as energized as I've been in a while after last season. I don't fish, I don't hunt, I hate playing golf, I'm not into traveling. I love gospel music and coaching."
"I'm healthy and enjoy what I'm doing. I want so very much to get our program back after last year. I have no plans to retire right now. I feel great."
It's certainly not going to be easy for Florida State with the team coming off a 9-23 season. Plus, the Seminoles saw four players from their roster transfer to other schools, including two of their top three scorers from last year (Matthew Cleveland, Caleb Mills).
Florida State replaced the losses with a mix of high school prospects (Taylor Bowen) and transfer portal players (Kevin Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Jamir Watkins). The Seminoles return some interesting pieces from last season such as redshirt junior guard Darin Green, junior guard Jalen Warley sophomore forward Baba Miller, sophomore forward Cam Corhen, and sophomore guard Chandler Jackson.
Plus, the program will be getting back senior forward Jaylan Gainey and senior guard Cam'Ron Fletcher from knee injuries. Gainey went down during the preseason while Fletcher was injured after ten appearances.
Hamilton has totaled a 626-475 record during his coaching career that includes 426 wins at Florida State. He has guided the Seminoles to 15 postseason appearances, including eight NCAA Tournament berths. Hamilton has recorded three Sweet Sixteen appearances and one Elite Eight appearance while winning the 2012 ACC Tournament.
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