This season will be the last one for Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton. In a statement by the Florida State athletic department on Monday, it was announced that Hamilton will be resigning at the end of the season.
Hamilton Resigning After This Season
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished here over the last 23 years” Hamilton said. Coach Hamilton has been with Florida State since 2002 and is the winningest coach in Florida State History with over 400 wins. Other career accomplishments include:
5th All-Time Winningest Coach in ACC History (404 wins)
1995 UPI National Coach of the Year
2000 BCA National Coach of the Year
2009 Basketball Times National Coach of the Year
2018 Clarence “Big House” Gaines National Coach of the Year
2021 Ben Jobe National Minority Coach of the Year
2009, 2012 and 2020 ACC Coach of the Year
1995 and 1999 Big East Coach of the Year
2016-17 Midseason National Coach of the Year
Hamilton’s career record as an NCAA head coach is 604-481 (.557), with a record of 434-290 at Florida State (.599) The university and
Resignation Amid Legal Battle
Hamilton’s resignation announcement comes in the wake of a lawsuit that was filed against him back in December. The seven former players Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam Fletcher, De’ante Green, and Jalen Warley all filed a lawsuit against Hamilton claiming he owed them each $250,000 in promised NIL money. The lawsuit states that “Every player on FSU’s 2023-24 men’s basketball team relied on Hamilton’s constant and repeated promises to their detriment.” >Each player transferred to Florida State due to those promises and were never compensated.
The issue with the civil case against Leonard is that Florida’s sovereign immunity laws prohibit the state, state employees, and state agencies from being sued in federal court if they didn’t give consent. Since he is an employee of the university, the lawsuit may be dropped or diluted in terms of a settlement. But if he is considered an employee of the Seminole Boosters, that could swing everything in favor of the players.
In a phone interview, Attorney Danny Heitner who is representing the athletes, stated that “If there is a challenge [as to whether Hamilton] is an employee of the university or of a separate organization, the mechanism by which he is paid is relevant.”
Florida State Could Serve As An Example
However this case plays out, it will undoubtedly influence the ongoing House v. NCAA case and could possibly set the precedent as to how future cases like this will go. The landscape of the current NCAA landscape allows for players to benefit off of NIL deals which include a pay-to-play deal resembling that of a professional contract. Schools are now being awarded a certain amount of money to be able to pay athletes and acquire top tier talent through the transfer portal. This has led to the growth of many programs and presenting the need for more scouts, player personnel managers, NIL directors, and other jobs that are typically only seen at the pro level.
By never cementing the promised arrangement in a legal written document, Hamilton didn’t technically break any rules or violate any agreements. Since he might be covered by Florida’s sovereign immunity protections, the players might be out of luck. The outcome of this particular case will more than likely influence future lawsuits of the same nature.
Players will more than likely want everything in writing, and coaches will be obliged to do so to avoid similar situations. But if the lawsuit doesn’t go in favor of the seven former players, then coaches could still make false promises of NIL money and not face any legal ramifications. This case as well as the House v. NCAA case will no doubt affect massive changes in the already rapidly changing NCAA landscape.
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