Leonard Hamilton

Last updated
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton 2013.jpg
Hamilton in 2013
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Florida State
Conference ACC
Record443–281 (.612)
Biographical details
Born (1948-08-04) August 4, 1948 (age 75)
Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
1966–1968 Gaston CC
1969–1971 UT Martin
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1971–1974 Austin Peay (assistant)
1974–1986 Kentucky (assistant)
1986–1990 Oklahoma State
1990–2000 Miami (FL)
2000–2001 Washington Wizards
2002–present Florida State
Head coaching record
Overall643–491 (.567) (college)
19–63 (.232) (NBA)
Tournaments14–11 (NCAA)
10–11 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Big East regular season (2000)
ACC tournament (2012)
ACC regular season (2020)
Awards
UPI National Coach of the Year (1995)
Big East Coach of the Year (1995, 1999)
ACC Coach of the Year (2009, 2012, 2020)
Ben Jobe Award (2021)

James Leonard Hamilton (born August 4, 1948) is an American basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach at Florida State University. He is a former head coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and for the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards. In his 33 years as a collegiate head coach, his teams have qualified for 12 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments and 11 National Invitation Tournaments, highlighted by appearances in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight (2018) and Sweet 16 (2011, 2019, 2021) with Florida State, as well as a Sweet 16 appearance with Miami (2000). Other career benchmarks include the Big East Conference regular season championship in 2000, the ACC tournament title in 2012 and the ACC regular season championship in 2020. While with the Wizards in 2000–01, they posted a 19–63 record.

Contents

Biography

Hamilton played college basketball at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Hamilton is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. [1] His brother, Ray Jones, coaches a minor-league team.

Hamilton was an assistant coach and associate head coach at the University of Kentucky from 1974 to 1986 under then-head coach Joe B. Hall. Hamilton was on the staff at Kentucky when it finished as the NCAA runner-up in 1975, won the 1978 NCAA Championship and went to the 1984 Final Four. He was a successful recruiter for Kentucky basketball, with players including Jack Givens, James Lee, Sam Bowie, and Melvin Turpin [2]

Hamilton was named ACC Coach of the Year on March 10, 2009, a second time in 2012, [3] and again in 2020. [4] Hamilton is the first coach to be named coach of the year in both the Big East and the ACC. In 2018, he was named the Clarence "Big House" Gaines National Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. [5]

Head-coaching record

College

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big Eight Conference)(1986–1990)
1986–87 Oklahoma State 8–204–107th
1987–88 Oklahoma State 14–164–10T–6th
1988–89 Oklahoma State 17–137–7T–4th NIT Second Round
1989–90 Oklahoma State 17–146–85th NIT Second Round
Oklahoma State:56–63 (.471)21–35 (.375)
Miami Hurricanes (NCAA Division I Independent)(1990–1991)
1990–91 Miami 9–19
Miami Hurricanes (Big East Conference)(1991–2000)
1991–92 Miami 8–241–1710th
1992–93 Miami 10–177–119th
1993–94 Miami 7–200–1810th
1994–95 Miami 15–139–95th NIT First Round
1995–96 Miami 15–138–104th (Big East 7)
1996–97 Miami 16–139–9T–4th (Big East 7) NIT First Round
1997–98 Miami 18–1011–72nd (Big East 7) NCAA Division I Round of 64
1998–99 Miami 23–715–32nd NCAA Division I Round of 32
1999–00 Miami 23–1113–3T–1st NCAA Division I Sweet 16
Miami:144–147 (.495)73–87 (.456)
Florida State Seminoles (Atlantic Coast Conference)(2002–present)
2002–03 Florida State 14–154–129th
2003–04 Florida State 19–146–10T–7th NIT Second Round
2004–05 Florida State 12–194–12T–10th
2005–06 Florida State 20–109–75th NIT Second Round
2006–07 Florida State 22–137–9T–8th NIT Quarterfinal
2007–08 Florida State 19–157–9T–7th NIT First Round
2008–09 Florida State 25–1010–64th NCAA Division I Round of 64
2009–10 Florida State 22–1010–6T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2010–11 Florida State 23–1111–53rd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2011–12 Florida State 25–1012–43rd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2012–13 Florida State 18–169–96th NIT First Round
2013–14 Florida State 22–149–9T–7th NIT Semifinal
2014–15 Florida State 17–168–109th
2015–16 Florida State 20–148–10T–11th NIT Second Round
2016–17 Florida State 26–912–6T–2nd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2017–18 Florida State 23–129–9T–8th NCAA Division I Elite Eight
2018–19 Florida State 29–813–54th NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2019–20 Florida State 26–516–41stPostseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21 Florida State 18–711–42nd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2021–22 Florida State 17–1410–108th
2022–23 Florida State 9–237–1312th
2023–24 Florida State 17–1610–10T–8th
Florida State:443–281 (.612)203–178 (.533)
Total:643–491 (.567)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NBA

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
Washington 2000–01 821963.2327th in AtlanticMissed Playoffs
Career821963.232

Personal life

Hamilton is married to Claudette Hamilton. They have two children. [6]

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References

  1. "Fraternity alumni endow new scholarship at APSU".
  2. Tucker, Kyle. "'The most important legacy': Joe B. Hall, with help from Leonard Hamilton, finally integrated Kentucky". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  3. "Turnaround Architect Hamilton Named ACC Coach of the Year". March 6, 2012. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  4. "Hamilton Named ACC Coach of the Year". 9 March 2020.
  5. . Seminoles.com. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  6. Robb, Sharon. "WITH PRIDE AND PASSION FRIENDS SAY LEONARD HAMILTON NEVER QUITS, ESPECIALLY WHEN RECRUITING. SOUNDS LIKE THE MAN UM NEEDS" . Retrieved 21 February 2020.