By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Florida State men’s basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton made the announcement earlier in the month that his long career at FSU will officially conclude with the end of the 2024-25 season.

FSU is now in search of the program’s eighth head basketball coach after the head of their dynasty resigns.

While I don’t consider the below a hot board, I do believe several of these names mentioned could be near the top of the list as the hiring process begins:

The first name played for Hamilton and helped the program win an ACC Championship in 2012, former guard Luke Loucks.

Loucks is currently an assistant with the Sacramento Kings. Loucks has worked in the NBA for several years also having stints with the Suns and Warriors doing a variety of jobs as he has worked his way up the ranks. He was a part of multiple NBA Championship squads as a coach with the Warriors.

He has worked on the international basketball scene as well, most recently with Nigeria.

He played internationally in Germany, Belgium, Cypress, and Latvia, as well as spending some time in the NBA Developmental League.

He is a Florida native and has a good understanding of the current environment surrounding the program.

The second name is a former Seminole and member of the FSU Hall of Fame, Sam Cassell. Cassell was drafted 24th overall in the 1993 NBA Draft out of FSU. He played for eight different teams during his 15-year career. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and All-NBA Team once, both in the 2003–04 season.

The former NBA point guard, who is originally from Baltimore, is currently an assistant coach for the Celtics.  He has also had extended coaching stints with the Wizards Clippers and 76ers.

Cassell has won NBA Championships as a player, multiple times, and as an assistant coach.

Both former players have been around FSU in recent years and have connected with current Athletics.

Third on my list, a huge piece of FSU’s best years under Hamilton, former assistant coach Dennis Gates.

While Alan Huss is only in his second season as the head coach of High Point, he could be a very intriguing option. He led the Panthers to a regular season conference title and the championship game of the CBI during his first year.

In year two, he’s got his team in second place in the Big South. While he can improve as a coach on the defensive end, Huss’ squad currently ranks No. 27 in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom after rating among the top 40 last season.

No, he’s not recruited to the ACC before, but Huss was known as an ace recruiter during his time as an assistant at Creighton. Additionally, he knows the landscape of the loaded prep academies as well as any coach out there after helping to build La Lumiere (Ind.) into a national power.

There are definitely more candidates than I’ve listed above. Hamilton constructed five straight, NCAA Tournament teams from 2016-21.

In my opinion, he is the best basketball coach in FSU history, leaving big shoes to fill for his successor.