ACC Basketball: Ranking all head coaches heading into 2023-24 season

By Caleb Hall | Sep 16, 2023

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 11: head coach Mike Young of the Virginia Tech Hokies talks with head coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half in the 2022 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament - Semifinals at Barclays Center on March 11, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Hokies won 72-59. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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ACC Basketball Head coach Leonard Hamilton of the Florida State Seminoles (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Leonard Hamilton, Florida State Seminoles

As of today I have Leonard Hamilton as the 5th best coach in the ACC but if he loses his first 2 games against Kennesaw State and Central Michigan, I might drop him to the bottom 5. I am dumbfounded on how a team and coach can simply fall off so hard in two years. FSU made the sweet sixteen in 2021 but in 2023 they went 9-23 and even lost by 40 points to a conference opponent. Hamilton has chucked it up to his performance as a coach, too many freshman, or just not the right transfers. FSU started 1-9 with their lone win against Mercer last season in their first ten games.

Hamilton is one of the best ACC coaches in recent memory, and had led the Seminoles to multiple tournament appearances, including sweet sixteens and an elite 8. When looking at ACC coaches in the last 10 years he is with no doubt in the top 5, outside of Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and Tony Bennett. However, this list is looking at ranking the coaches going into next season.

Hamilton needs to get his team ready to play good basketball in 2023-24 or he might be another ACC coach that will (be forced to) retire.