The Florida State men's basketball team officially has their new head coach and it is a name many Seminoles fans will remember. Former player Luke Loucks was named the Florida State head coach just yesterday, ending a long coaching search for the Seminoles.
Loucks was introduced to the media and those at Florida State yesterday in a press conference, one that had every fan listening. Back in early February, head coach Leonard Hamilton announced he would resign at the end of the season, which jump-started the search that led the Seminoles back to Loucks.
Loucks' first words at his press conference should have fans both feeling warm nostalgic feeling and excited for years to come.
"It's good to be home," Loucks said at his introductory press conference.
The former player now turned coach, played with the Seminoles back from 2008 to 2012, when Florida State went to the NCAA Tournament four times in a row. In Loucks' freshman season, the Seminoles have broken almost a 20-year NCAA Tournament drought, making it to the fifth round, but were upset by 12-seed Wisconsin.
In 2010, the Seminoles made it back to the Tournament in back-to-back seasons, the first time since 1988-1989. This time, making it in as a 10-seed, Florida State was still unable to get a win in the first round, falling to 8-seed Gonzaga. In 2011, Loucks' junior season, the Seminoles made it to the tournament as a 10-seed and, this time, played spoiler to other teams, making it all the way to the Sweet 16. In that run, the Seminoles knocked out 2-seeded Otre Dame in the second round but fell to 11-seed VCU in the Sweet 16.
In Loucks' final season with the Seminoles. Florida State made it back to the tournament for their fourth consecutive season, making it back to the first round as a 3-seed, beaten 14-seed FGCU, but lost to 6-seed Cincinnati in the second round.
Loucks had his best season at FSU in his last, averaging 7.7 points per game, a career-high 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals. Loucks took his talents overseas to play in professional leagues there, but in 2016, after having back surgery, he traveled back to the United States to recover and begin his coaching career.
His first coaching opportunity came with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 as a paid intern for film and player development. That season, the Warriors went on to win the NBA Championship in 2017. In the 2017-2018 season, Loucks was elevated to the Warriors' two-way player development coach and was promoted to a player development coach with the full NBA team in 2019.
In 2020, now with the Nigerian national team, Loucks served a role on the coaching staff as an assistant and player development coach and served on the Olympic staff for the 2021 Summer Olympics.
After the Olympics, Loucks then moved on to the Phoenix Suns, working in basketball strategy and personnel evaluation. Finally, in 2022, Loucks was named an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings and became defensive coordinator in 2024.
Now Loucks is back in Tallahassee, coaching the team he once played for in the same building where he spent his four collegiate seasons.