FSU basketball coach Leonard Hamilton announced he would resign at the end of the 2024-25 season.
The Noles have gone 2-0 since the news, including a thrilling double-digit comeback against Wake Forest on the road Wednesday night.
The thought process was the FSU administration could get a head start on Hamilton's replacement with Hamilton's assistance.
The speculation about who would replace Hamilton was immediate, with two former players emerging to the forefront, Luke Loucks and Sam Cassell.
Dennis Gates was also a name many fans would want to return to FSU, but the Missouri head coach likely wouldn't leave after getting established there, and it would involve a buyout.
Loucks played for Leonard Hamilton from 2012-16 and Cassell was at FSU from 1991-93 before Hamilton arrived in 2002. Loucks has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2016 and Cassell has been a long-time assistant NBA coach since 2008.
Sam Cassell commented on the vacancy recently and said FSU hasn't reached out to him about the job:
“Once the athletic department reaches out to me, then (FSU’s interest) is official. But they haven’t reached out to me,” Cassell told Heavy before the Celtics took on the Spurs. “The athletic director hasn’t reached out to me yet.”
Cassell communicated he would listen if FSU came calling, but it would have to be the right fit. He will likely hear other NBA teams and has already interviewed for NBA head coaching jobs twice.
There's no question Cassell is an excellent coach, but how would he handle college recruiting since it's changed drastically over the years?
“That’s a hurdle I’ve got to step to if it comes that way,” Cassell said. “I haven’t thought about it yet. But, yeah, it’s totally different now than what it was 10 years ago. If I choose to pursue that, then that’s what I’ve got to get used to and get ready for.”
I know athletic directors and coaches use back channels all the time when discussing jobs. However, there's no reason to use back channels when it's clear Leonard Hamilton will be done at FSU in a few weeks. If the idea was to get a head start on making a hire, what's the hold-up?
Unless FSU isn't considering Cassell for the job right now? The early smoke was Luke Loucks was the top target:
Look for former Florida State player and current Sacramento Kings assistant Luke Loucks to be heavily involved in the conversations to replace Leonard Hamilton, source told @TheFieldOf68.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 3, 2025
Loucks, 34, played for the Seminoles from 2008-12, and is considered a rising star as an…
Maybe that's the case and why Cassell hasn't heard from FSU, or have they reached out to his agent and he's playing semantics?