🏹 February 4th - The Chief Brief 🏹

Hamilton’s Legacy, FSU’s Coaching Search, & Major Recruiting Moves—A Pivotal Week for the Seminoles

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The Chief
February 04, 2025

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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Tuesday, Seminole!

Let’s dive into everything you need to know:

🏀 Ta’Niya Latson Named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
The nation’s leading scorer (26.1 PPG) is racking up accolades as FSU moves up to No. 22 in the AP Poll.

📚 FSU Cross Country Earns USTFCCCA Academic Honors
Both the men’s and women’s teams earned All-Academic Team recognition, with seven individual Seminoles making the list.

🏀 Leonard Hamilton to Step Down as FSU Head Coach
After 23 seasons, the winningest coach in program history will retire at season’s end. The search for his replacement is officially underway.

🔎 FSU Basketball Coaching Search: Who’s in the Mix?
A deep candidate pool is forming, including Charlton “C.Y.” Young, Luke Loucks, Sam Cassell, and Dennis Gates among others.

🏈 Inside FSU’s January Recruiting Push
A wild month of recruiting saw a QB decommitment, a top RB commitment, and huge visits at OL & LB.

🔜 What’s Next?
🏀 FSU Women’s Hoops faces Virginia on Thursday
🏈 Spring recruiting heats up as key visits get scheduled
🔥 FSU prepares for a critical coaching hire

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🏀 Ta’Niya Latson Named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List

Florida State junior guard Ta’Niya Latson continues to rack up accolades, as she was named to the 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List on Monday. The award, presented annually by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), honors the women’s national player of the year.

🔥 Latson’s Dominant Season:
🏆 Nation’s Leading Scorer – Averaging 26.1 PPG
💥 Seven 30+ Point Games, including a career-high 40 vs. Virginia Tech
📊 Scored 20+ points in 19 games this season

Latson, who has powered the Seminoles to an 18-4 (8-2 ACC) record, is also on the midseason Wooden Award Watch List.

📈 FSU Moves Up to No. 22 in AP Poll

After back-to-back wins over Boston College and Wake Forest, the Seminoles climbed from No. 25 to No. 22 in this week’s AP Top 25 rankings.

⏭️ What’s Next?
Florida State travels to Virginia (12-11, 4-7 ACC) on Thursday for a 7 PM tip-off on ACC Network Extra.

📚 FSU Cross Country Earns USTFCCCA Academic Honors

Florida State’s men’s and women’s cross country teams were recognized by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their academic excellence during the 2024 season.

🏆 Team Honors:
🎓 Men’s Team – 3.59 GPA, named an All-Academic Team
🎓 Women’s Team – 3.62 GPA, also earned All-Academic Team honors

🎖️ Individual All-Academic Honorees:

🏃 Men: Joe Farley, Zach Leachman, Zach Cloud
🏃‍♀️ Women: Bieke Schipperen, Brooke Mullins, Agnes McTighe

📊 Standout Performances:

🔥 Joe Farley – 25th at ACC Championships, 11th at NCAA South Regionals (All-Region)
🔥 Bieke Schipperen – 16th at ACC Championships (All-Conference), 5th at NCAA South Regionals (All-Region), 57th at Nationals

To qualify for All-Academic distinction, athletes must maintain a 3.25+ GPA and meet championship-level performance criteria.

🏀 Leonard Hamilton to Step Down as FSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach

Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton announced Monday that he will resign at the end of the 2024-25 season, bringing an end to a legendary tenure in Tallahassee. FSU Athletics will immediately begin a national search for his replacement.

Hamilton, the winningest coach in FSU history, has led the Seminoles for 23 seasons, compiling a 434-290 record and securing 16 postseason appearances and 12 20-win seasons. He also ranks fifth all-time in ACC wins (196-186) and 10th among active Division I head coaches in total wins (634-500).

🏆 Hamilton’s Legacy at Florida State

🔹 FSU’s First ACC Tournament Championship (2012)
🔹 First ACC Regular Season Title (2019-20)
🔹 Three-Time National Coach of the Year
🔹 Five-Time Conference Coach of the Year
🔹 19 NBA Draft Picks, including nine first-rounders
🔹 97% graduation rate for players who completed eligibility

💬 Hamilton on His Decision:

"I have been blessed beyond words for the opportunity and experience we've had here. My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people. I'm very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the last 23 seasons. We were a consistent contender, and we created success for our players during their time here."

🔜 What’s Next?

Hamilton will finish out the 2024-25 season, with FSU currently sitting at 13-9 (4-7 ACC). The Seminoles will now begin the search for their next head coach, aiming to build on Hamilton’s legacy.

🏀 Coaching Search: Who Will Replace Leonard Hamilton at FSU?

With Leonard Hamilton officially stepping down at the end of the season, Florida State has launched a national search for its next head coach. Athletic Director Michael Alford and his staff have been compiling a list of candidates for months, and now the process kicks into full gear.

Several names have already emerged as top contenders for the position, ranging from former FSU assistants and players to rising stars in the coaching ranks and established head coaches.

🔥 Top Candidates for the Job

🏀 The Insiders – Coaches With Strong FSU Ties

🔹 Charlton "C.Y." Young – Missouri Associate Head Coach, former FSU assistant (2013-22), elite recruiter
🔹 Luke Loucks – Sacramento Kings Assistant Coach, former FSU point guard (2008-12), NBA coaching experience
🔹 Sam Cassell – Boston Celtics Assistant Coach, FSU Hall of Famer, former NBA champion & longtime assistant
🔹 Dennis Gates – Missouri Head Coach, former FSU assistant (2011-19), proven program builder (long shot due to salary & SEC job)

🏀 The Outsiders – Rising College Coaches With No Direct FSU Ties

🔹 Bucky McMillan (Samford) – Up-tempo offensive mastermind, multiple 20-win seasons
🔹 Will Wade (McNeese State) – Former LSU head coach, known for success but carries NCAA baggage
🔹 Chris Mack (Charleston) – Former Xavier & Louisville head coach, looking to rebuild career
🔹 Brian Hodgson (Arkansas State) – Former Alabama assistant, top recruiter, leading Sun Belt power
🔹 Ben McCollum (Drake) – Former D-II national champion coach, thriving in first season at D-I level

🏀 The Long Shots – High-Profile Coaches Who Could Be in Play

🔹 Chris Jans (Mississippi State) – Proven SEC coach with NCAA Tournament success
🔹 Richard Pitino (New Mexico) – Son of legendary coach Rick Pitino, former Minnesota head coach
🔹 Ryan Odom (VCU) – Architect of UMBC’s historic NCAA upset, now leading VCU
🔹 Bryce Drew (Grand Canyon) – NCAA Tournament regular, strong recruiter

Read more about prospective candidates here and here

🏈 Inside FSU’s January Recruiting Push: New Coaches, Key Visits & What’s Next

Florida State wrapped up a fast-paced and highly active month of recruiting in January, which saw new staff members hit the trail, multiple Junior Day events, and critical moves in the 2026 quarterback search. Here’s a breakdown of what we learned from FSU’s recruiting efforts last month.

📌 2026 QB Search Takes Center Stage

The biggest recruiting shake-up of January came when longtime FSU quarterback commit Brady Smigiel decommitted. While Smigiel is a highly talented prospect, his pocket-passing skillset didn’t align with Gus Malzahn’s offensive vision, leading the Seminoles to rebuild their QB board with more dual-threat options.

🔴 New 2026 QB Targets FSU Offered in January:
✔️ Bowe Bentley (Celina, TX) – 4,134 total yards, 63 TDs last season, Ohio State now in the mix.
✔️ Keisean Henderson (Houston commit, Spring, TX) – Highly athletic, recruited as both QB & WR.
✔️ Landon Duckworth (Jackson, AL) – Strong ties to Malzahn from UCF recruitment, big production in 2023.

The ‘Noles are also taking big swings at top-tier talent, including five-star Jared Curtis and four-star Jaden O’Neal. Expect FSU to secure key spring visits before making a final QB push before summer official visits.

🌟 Landing a Key Local Commitment

FSU has struggled in recent cycles to lock down local elite talent, but they flipped that narrative in January by securing a commitment from 4-star RB Amari Clemons (Tallahassee, FL).

🔥 Clemons’ 2024 Season Stats:
📊 1,880 rushing yards, 34 TDs (12.3 yards per carry)
🎯 247 receiving yards, 3 TDs

FSU beat out Auburn, Florida, Miami, Ole Miss, and others for Clemons, making him a foundational piece in the 2026 class.

🏗️ New Coaches = Stronger Recruiting Presence?

With new hires and role changes within the staff, how have the Seminoles fared so far in recruiting under the new regime?

✅ Offensive Line Coach Herb Hand’s Immediate Impact

FSU prioritized getting top OL talent on campus, and Herb Hand delivered. The Seminoles hosted 13 offensive linemen in January alone, including:

🔹 4⭐ Canon Pickett
🔹 4⭐ Samuel Roseborough
🔹 4⭐ Sam Greer
🔹 4⭐ Grant Kitchens
🔹 4⭐ Brandon Anderson
🔹 3⭐ G’Nivre Carr

Hand has wasted no time getting elite prospects on campus, setting the stage for a strong OL class in 2026.

✅ LB Coach John Papuchis Wastes No Time

Following the departure of Randy Shannon, Papuchis has shifted his recruiting focus to linebackers, and early results are promising. FSU hosted multiple elite LB prospects, including:

🔹 5⭐ Xavier Griffin (USC commit)
🔹 4⭐ Izayia Williams
🔹 4⭐ Duyon “DQ” Forkpa
🔹 4⭐ Adam Balogoun-Ali

The next step? Locking in official visits and securing commitments in the coming months.

❌ Positions That Need More Attention?

While OL and LB recruiting have surged, FSU needs to step it up at WR, DL, and DB. The Seminoles had some quality visitors at those positions, but not at the same volume as OL & LB.

📅 Early Official Visits – A New Recruiting Trend?

One major change in 2026 recruiting? Top recruits are locking in summer official visits earlier than ever.

🔹 FSU has already secured summer officials with:
✔️ LB Duyon Forkpa Jr.
✔️ LB/S Karon Maycock
✔️ ATH Jyron Hughley

With the recruiting calendar accelerating every year, FSU will need to keep pace and get more key targets locked in for summer visits soon.

✈️ FSU Coaches Hit the Road

With January being a critical in-person evaluation period, how did the new staff approach travel?

🔹 Gus Malzahn stayed mostly in Tallahassee but traveled for select QB visits.
🔹 FSU utilized non-field staffers for recruiting trips for the first time, sending:
✔️ Austin Tucker (Alabama connections)
✔️ DJ Daniels (North Carolina connections)
✔️ Ernie Sims (North Florida connections)

This new approach allowed FSU to maximize recruiting reach without pulling key coaches away from other responsibilities.

🔜 What’s Next?

🏈 Spring visits are the next major recruiting checkpoint.
💪 FSU needs to build momentum at WR, DL, and DB.
🎯 Locking in more summer official visits will be crucial.

And that’s a wrap!

That’s a wrap on a wild week in Tallahassee! From legendary coaching news to recruiting battles heating up, there’s no shortage of action. FSU hoops pushes forward, football recruiting is in full swing, and the coaching search is just beginning.

Stay locked in—big moves are coming.

✉️ Got thoughts? Reply to this email and let us know what you think about Hamilton’s legacy and FSU’s coaching search.

🔜 Until next time, keep chopping! 🍢

— The Chief Brief Team

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