Sacramento Kings assistant Luke Loucks attends FSU-Clemson basketball game amid coaching rumors

One of the potential candidates for FSU's next basketball coach was in attendance on Saturday.

Austin Veazey | Feb 16, 2025

Nov 24, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (right) and assistant coach Luke Loucks (left) talk before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Florida State announced that legendary men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton would be stepping down at season's end, ending a 23-year tenure in Tallahassee. He's one of the true trailblazers of the sport; college basketball won't be the same without him. And trying to find someone to fill his shoes will be difficult, but Athletic Director Michael Alford has a head start of a few weeks.

One of the names that was instantly connected with the job is Sacramento Kings assistant Luke Loucks, who was the starting point guard on Florida State's first ACC Championship team in 2012. He was in Tallahassee during the summer for an undisclosed reason, but with the NBA currently at the All-Star Break, Loucks had some extra time on his hands.

Florida State Seminoles guard Luke Loucks (3) reacts after hitting a basket to put the Seminoles up by 3 with 13.4 seconds remaining against the Duke Blue Devils during the semi-finals of the 2012 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Chris Nee of Noles 247Sports reported that Luke Loucks was at Saturday's game in Tallahassee between Florida State and Clemson, a game that the Tigers dominated 72-46. Loucks attended the game in Michael Alford's box.

This could be a full circle moment, as the first head coach of Florida State men's basketball was a man named Don Loucks. The relation, if any, is unclear, but that's not nothing.

After a four-year professional career, Luke Loucks has been a coach in the NBA for the last nine seasons, starting as a Video Coordinator/Player Development Coach with the Golden State Warriors from 2016-2021, joining the Phoenix Suns as a Basketball Strategy Coach for the 2021-22 season, and has been an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings since, being their defensive coordinator this season. He's also been an assistant coach/player development coach for the Nigerian Basketball team in 2020.

While there are some reservations about coaches going from the NBA to college with zero previous college coaching experience, there are reasons to like Loucks between his connections to the program, his history with winning teams in the NBA, and his youth, as he's just 34 years old.

A few other names have been connected to the job, such as another former FSU point guard and NBA assistant, Sam Cassell, but he says he hasn't been contacted by Florida State yet. Loucks was connected to the opening as soon as Hamilton's retirement was announced, and he's likely the favorite to land the job.

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