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Andrea Adelson
Nine years ago, Luke Loucks sat in Leonard Hamilton’s office at Florida State when his former coach asked him a question that changed his career trajectory:
“Have you ever considered coaching?”
That query ultimately sent Loucks on a quick rise through the NBA ranks. Now, in what Loucks described to ESPN as a move that was “meant to be,” he will succeed Hamilton at Florida State. The 34-year-old Sacramento Kings assistant signed a five-year deal Sunday as the new Seminoles head coach and will be officially introduced Monday in Tallahassee.
“I don’t know how to put it into words, but it’s like it was meant to be this whole time,” Loucks told ESPN in a phone interview. “This whole journey led me to this point.”
When Hamilton suggested getting into coaching, Loucks was rehabbing a back injury but was heading to summer league in Las Vegas to try out for NBA teams. Hamilton suggested while there, Loucks start making connections with NBA personnel officials to see if he could find his way into a front office or coaching job.
That ultimately landed Loucks his first job, as a video coordinator and player development coach at Golden State in 2016. He spent five seasons there learning under Steve Kerr and won two NBA championships. He then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Suns before moving to the Kings for the past three years, where he reunited with Mike Brown (an assistant at Golden State when Loucks was there).
“You’re going to be a head coach. It’s just a matter of when,” Brown told Loucks when he arrived in Sacramento in 2022.
Brown figured it would be in the NBA, but based on the way the college game is moving, he told ESPN he is not surprised Florida State hired Loucks, especially given his ties.
“As a young guy, he’s experienced a lot in a short amount of time, which has really helped him grow quickly,” Brown said. “He’s really knowledgeable offensively, defensively, analytically. He thinks out of the box. He’s not afraid to take chances but the biggest thing is he’s a connector. When you’re able to connect well with people, I don’t care what job you’re doing, you’re going to be able to find a way to have success.”
Though Loucks has no head coaching experience, he has a deep understanding of Florida State basketball, having played under Hamilton from 2008-12. But his Florida State ties run deeper than that. Loucks grew up in Clearwater, Florida, as an FSU fan — his dad was a walk-on under Bobby Bowden on the football team and his uncles and younger sister attended the university.
So did his wife, Stevi, who swam for the Seminoles. When he got the job offer, Loucks said his wife and their parents all cried as they rejoiced in their homecoming.
Loucks had remained connected with Hamilton over the years, visiting the program whenever he had the opportunity. He described Hamilton as a “second father” and said the two spoke at length before Loucks took the job.
“I’ve won at Florida State at a very high level, and I was fortunate to be a small part on some great teams, and I hope to bring that success that Coach Hamilton started,” Loucks said. “He’s laid an unbelievable foundation, but to go back home to where I played, and to go replace a man of great character, who has had such an impact in my life, you cannot write the story better.”
During his time there, Florida State made four straight NCAA tournament appearances and won its only ACC Tournament championship in 2012. Loucks, the starting point guard, made the All-ACC Tournament team after dishing out 13 assists in the championship game victory over North Carolina. When he left Florida State, he held the record for games played (136).
FSU athletic director Michael Alford said Loucks’ energy and passion stood out during the interview process, but his NBA background was also hugely important — including his player development, coaching philosophy and the direction in which college hoops is headed as a quasi-professional model.
“We’ve got to bring multiple people together with a ton of talent that are getting paid a ton of money, and we’ve got to form a bond and a commitment to doing things beyond our own individual ambitions,” Loucks said. “It’s bringing a group of men together to embrace a role for the betterment of the team. I’ve been fortunate to coach for teams that I’ve seen that done at a championship level, and I can bring that to Florida State in this environment that’s constantly shifting.”
Questions about Loucks’ lack of head coaching experience, and his lack of college experience, were discussed at length during the interview process.
“I look more into the future where someone can go and be,” Alford told ESPN. “I thought for sure he was ready.”
Hamilton announced his retirement last month, leaving Florida State as the winningest head coach in school history after 23 seasons at the helm. The Seminoles have missed four straight NCAA tournaments and struggled to find the consistency that had once been a hallmark of the program.
“With my lack of experience, there are going to be question marks,” Loucks said. “But the reality is, I understand Florida State, I understand the dynamics. I understand what goes into winning at Florida State. I’ve not only seen it, but I’ve experienced it, and I’ve lived it.
“That that gives me a head start. So, if you want someone to lead this team that gets it right, and who understands what type of people succeed here, what type of people won’t succeed here, and how to recruit, and how do we evaluate those people? To me, you’re not going to find a better person for the job.”
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