Sacramento Kings assistant coach Luke Loucks informed the team’s players today that he is departing to become the next head men’s basketball coach at Florida State.
Warchant and other media outlets reported earlier Friday that Luke Loucks had become the frontrunner to succeed Leonard Hamilton. Contract details are expected to be finalized over the weekend, with Loucks likely to be officially named head coach as early as Monday.
Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas later addressed the news with reporters following practice.
Sacramento Kings assistant coach Luke Loucks, a former Florida State point guard, has become the leading candidate for the Seminoles’ head men’s basketball coaching position, according to multiple sources who informed Warchant’s Jeff Cameron.
Loucks could be officially announced as head coach as early as Monday, just two days after Leonard Hamilton leads the Seminoles in his final home game on Saturday against SMU.
Loucks played as a point guard at Florida State from 2008 to 2012, contributing to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. One of his most memorable moments was assisting Michael Snaer’s buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer against Duke in 2012.
After his college career, Loucks played professional basketball overseas for four years before transitioning to coaching in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Over the next five years, he steadily climbed the ranks within the Warriors’ organization before joining the Phoenix Suns in the 2021-22 season. Since the summer of 2022, he has served as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.
Loucks also served as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team in 2020-21, helping guide them in the Olympics. Coming from a family with deep Seminole ties, he has maintained a strong connection to the Florida State program since his playing days. His wife, Stevi, is also a former Seminole swimmer.
Hamilton is stepping down after 23 seasons at the helm. Unless Florida State pulls off a series of major upsets, his tenure is expected to conclude next week at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.
