NCAA Basketball: How coaches are dealing with a unique offseason

Leonard Hamilton – Florida State

Florida State was the No. 1 seed for the ACC Tournament with eyes on a Final Four in their future before the plug was pulled on the season and instead of preparing to take on Clemson in the quarterfinals, their focus had to turn to the offseason and preparing for the 2020-21 season.

The first thing that needed to be cleared up was whether or not winter-sport athletes would be granted another year of eligibility because of the shortened season. Even though most coaches felt that the extra year would not be granted, that was the first hurdle to be cleared.

Leading up to the vote there was a lot of confusion as to what details the vote would actually entail, and head coach Leonard Hamilton who I spoke to prior to the vote, said, “I don’t have all of the information as to what the challenges are in this process, they’re going to look at all the sides, the pluses and minuses and make a decision that I think is equitable for everybody.”

With the offseason starting sooner than normal, it has still been a normal offseason so far for the Seminoles, aside from having the ability to meet with his players and staff face-to-face. Hamilton says he immediately began reviewing game film of this season to evaluate his team, “and then we started recruiting on the phone and communicating with kids for the 2021 class that we are recruiting.” With social distancing mandates in place, meeting with staff and players can be more difficult, but Hamilton has seen no difference in the work he and his staff has been able to accomplish, saying, “I’m on the phone with my staff all day long and communicating just like we normally would if we were in the office.”

There may be a new normal in the world right now, but that world hasn’t impacted how Hamilton and Florida State are going about their offseason plans.