Luke Loucks is returning to Florida State University to take over as men's basketball coach.
“It’s good to be home," Loucks said Monday. "Flying in (Sunday) was a special moment for our family. This place holds so many special memories for me.”
A Clearwater native, Loucks played at Florida State from 2008-12. As a 6-foot-4 guard, he averaged 7.1 points and 3.3 rebounds as a senior and was part of a Seminoles team that defeated Miami, Duke and North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament in March 2012.
Florida State announced the hire on Sunday. The 34-year-old Loucks is replacing Leonard Hamilton, who is stepping down at the end of this season. ESPN reports that Loucks signed a five-year deal with his alma mater.
Before FSU, Loucks was a two-sport star at Clearwater High School from 2004 to 2007. He was a quarterback on the football team, and set a school record for passing yards in a game with 423 in a 47–31 victory over Palm Harbor High School.
But it was in basketball that he earned his way to FSU and pro basketball. He was a four-year starter for the Tornadoes, serviing as captain his final three years. As a freshman, Clearwater was a runner-up at the state tournament. As a senior, he averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals and shot 60 percent from the field.
Loucks had been an assistant coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings since 2022. He also has worked for the Golden State Warriors, helping the team win NBA titles in 2017 and 2018, and Phoenix Suns.
Loucks has not been a head coach at the college or NBA level. But his experience working with NBA coaches like Steve Kerr and Mike Brown, along with his knowledge of the challenges of Florida State’s job, made him an attractive candidate.
“We will have a standard that we stick to on and off the court that will help build a championship-level culture,” Loucks said. “I am privileged to have seen firsthand what winning feels like at Florida State, and I am hungry for more.”
After playing pro basketball for three seasons in Europe and one in the NBA’s developmental league, Loucks has focused on player development in his three NBA stops. In Sacramento, he was in charge of the Kings’ defense — an area that Hamilton prioritized during his 23 seasons as Florida State’s coach.
“Luke was an exceptional Seminole player who played a key role in leading Florida State to its first ACC championship,” said Hamilton, 76. “I’m very proud to see him return as head coach of a program he helped elevate to such great heights.”
FSU athletic director Michael Alford said the coaching search included college coaches and assistant coaches with extensive experience. But administrators opted not to pay a significant buyout to a college coach and chose Loucks in a search that ramped up after Hamilton announced his plans on Feb. 3.
“Luke will bring a unique combination of qualities to our program, and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of our basketball history under his leadership,” Alford said. “Throughout basketball at both the professional and collegiate levels, Luke has earned a reputation as one of the rising stars in coaching.”
Florida State (17-14, 8-12) is the No. 11 seed for the ACC tournament, playing on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WFSU's Adrian Andrews and WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.
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