NCAA Basketball: Ranking 2019-20 Naismith Coach of the Year finalists
By Joey Loose
4. Leonard Hamilton
Even during a successful eighteenth season at Florida State, Hamilton seems to be a forgotten man in the ACC. In a conference with Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, and Tony Bennett helming programs, there isn’t that much attention left for Hamilton. There’s been some good and some bad for the Seminoles, including an Elite Eight just two seasons ago, but you’ve rarely looked at Florida State and seen a national championship threat.
This year was different, and so was this team. It’s completely true that the ACC wasn’t at its strongest, but that doesn’t diminish Florida State’s impressive run to the top. The Seminoles were regular-season champions and took care of teams like Florida, Purdue, and Louisville (twice). Devin Vassell and Trent Forrest had great seasons while the defense did its thing night after night.
It’s difficult to speculate about an NCAA Tournament that never happened, but this Florida State team was primed to make another deep run. Hamilton’s Seminoles made it to the Elite Eight as a 9-seed two seasons ago; it’s fair to say a similar run could be expected with a potential 2 seed this year. Anytime a team like Florida State can win the ACC regular season, then it’s fair to laud the efforts of the team and its coach. The Seminoles greatly exceeded expectations this season and their coach put them in that position.