Updated 3:00 p.m. ET
After news emerged early Friday that Sacramento Kings assistant and former FSU player Luke Loucks was the leading candidate to become the next head coach at Florida State, multiple Kings beat writers have reported that Loucks has informed the players and staff that he has accepted the position.
Moments ago, the Sacramento Kings congratulating assistant coach Luke Loucks for taking over his alma mater, accepting the head coaching job at Florida State. pic.twitter.com/gBHIx5UJTK
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 7, 2025
"Happy and sad. You never want one of your brothers to leave, but he's going somewhere good."
Jonas Valančiūnas on Luke Loucks heading to Florida St for the head coaching job pic.twitter.com/16lV3ZjNOj
— Kevin John (@heykevinjohn) March 7, 2025
Andrea Adelson of ESPN and Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports both reported Friday afternoon that Loucks has emerged as the top candidate for the position. Rothstein’s sources indicated that Loucks had been offered the job and contract negotiations are underway with Adelson saying a deal is expected to be put together over the weekend.
Leonard Hamilton, the head coach at Florida State for the last 23 years (459–295, 210–190 ACC all-time), is set to coach his final regular season game as the head coach at Florida State this Saturday at 4 p.m. vs. the SMU Mustangs.
Loucks played for Hamilton and Florida State from 2008 to 2012, part of the Seminoles’ first-ever ACC Tournament championship win.
Before his current role with the Kings, he served in a basketball strategy and personnel evaluation role with the Phoenix Suns during the 2021-2022 season after spending five years (2016-2021) with the Golden State Warriors as video coordinator and player development coach.
His FSU bio:
Florida State’s starting point guard during his senior season who set the school record for career games played (136) and wins played in by a Seminole player (95) during his four year career…played on a school record four consecutive NCAA Tournament teams and helped the Seminoles win their first ACC Championship in 2012…in addition to helping lead the Seminoles to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and to the championship of the 2012 ACC Tournament, he led Florida State to the first two appearances in the championship game of the ACC Tournament (2009 and 2012), to the championships of the 2009 Global Sports Classic, the 2010 Old Spice Classic, two victories over the nation’s No. 1 ranked team (North Carolina in 2009 and Duke in 2011), to 16 victories over nationally ranked teams and a school record four top four finishes in the ACC standings…the Seminoles totaled a record of 95-41 – the most wins in a four year period in school history and were 43-21 in the ACC – a total which also ranks as the most in a four year period for the Seminole basketball program…with Loucks in the line-up, the Seminoles were nationally ranked during each of his four seasons and ranked 10th nationally in the final Associated Press poll of the 2011-12 season…prior to Loucks’ arrival, the Seminoles had not played in consecutive NCAA Tournaments since the 1992 and 1993 seasons, had never played in the ACC Tournament championship game, had not won an in season tournament championship since 1988 and had not won more than 10 regular season ACC games since the 1993 season…named to the All-Tournament First Team at the 2012 ACC Tournament as he led the Seminoles to wins over Miami (March 9, 2012; 82-71), No. 6 Duke (March 10, 2012; 62-59) and No. 4 North Carolina (March 11, 2012; 85-82) as the Seminoles claimed the first ACC Championship in school history at the Philips Arena in Atlanta…totaled a championship games and career high 13 assists in the championship final game as the Seminoles defeated North Carolina to win the championship…finished his career ranked first in school history with 136 games played, eighth in school history with 291 career assists and 23rd in school history with 88 career 3-point field goals made…helped lead Florida State to wins over the four ACC teams from the state of North Carolina (Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest) in the same season for the first time in school history…with Loucks in the line-up, the Seminoles became only the third team in ACC Tournament history to defeat Duke and North Carolina in consecutive games in the semifinals and finals of the greatest tournament in all of college basketball and became the first team since Georgia Tech in 1996 to defeat both Duke and North Carolina in multiple seasons…Loucks played in every game of his career at Florida State including seven NCAA Tournament games, the 2009 ACC Tournament Championship game, 16 victories over nationally ranked teams including No. 1 North Carolina (March 14, 2009) and No. 1 Duke (Jan. 12, 2011) and in a total of 95 victories overall…the Seminoles’ victory over No. 1 North Carolina on March 14, 2009 was the third in school history and first over the No. 1 ranked team in the ACC Tournament in school history….the victory advanced Florida State to the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time in school history…the victory over the Tar Heels was North Carolina’s last loss of the season as they went on to win the National Championship…was Florida State’s first commitment for the Seminoles’ 2008 recruiting class as he pledged his commitment to Leonard Hamilton and his staff as a high school junior… earned his undergraduate degree in business management in August of 2011 will earn his Master’s degree in sport management in August of 2012…earned the first-year academic achievement award from the Seminoles’ coaching staff at the 2009 Men’s Basketball Honors Banquet…named the Seminoles’ outstanding student-athlete at the team award banquets in 2010 and 2012…earned the Otto Petty Most Assists Award and shared the Tip of the Spear Award with his senior teammates at the team banquet in 2012…named to the All-ACC Academic Basketball Team in 2010, 2011 and 2012…named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2009, 2010 and 2011…