Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

🔥 Big changes, big moments, and big expectations define this edition of The Chief Brief. Florida State basketball enters a new era with the hiring of Luke Loucks, while FSU women’s golf dominates the leaderboard, and the Seminoles continue their spring football preparations.

🔑 Here’s what’s inside today’s edition:
🏀 Luke Loucks officially takes over as FSU’s head basketball coach.
⛳ No. 6 FSU Women’s Golf leads the Briars Creek Invitational.
⚾ FSU Baseball’s Sunday game canceled—now set for a rivalry showdown vs. No. 7 Florida.
🏈 Breaking down FSU’s running back competition heading into spring.
🥎 No. 8 FSU Softball drops a low-scoring battle against No. 12 Oregon.
🎾 FSU Tennis and Swimming & Diving compete on the road.

Let’s dive in! 👇

🏀 Luke Loucks Officially Named FSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach

Florida State has officially hired Luke Loucks as its next men’s basketball head coach, bringing home a former Seminole standout with NBA coaching experience and championship pedigree. Loucks arrived in Tallahassee on Sunday and will be introduced at a press conference on Monday morning.

🔥 Why Loucks?
✅ FSU Roots – Played for the Seminoles from 2008-2012, leading the team to its first ACC Championship in program history.
✅ NBA Experience – Coached with the Golden State Warriors (2 NBA titles), Phoenix Suns, and most recently the Sacramento Kings (Defensive Coordinator in 2024-25).
✅ Player Development – Worked closely with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, De’Aaron Fox, Draymond Green, and more, helping them reach All-Star and All-NBA honors.

💬 What They’re Saying:

🔹 Luke Loucks on Taking Over at FSU:
"I am incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the head coach for the Florida State men’s basketball team. FSU has a rich basketball tradition, and I look forward to building on the legacy of our previous coaches, especially Coach Hamilton."

🔹 Athletic Director Michael Alford on Loucks:
"Luke will bring a unique combination of qualities to our program. Throughout basketball at both the professional and collegiate levels, he has earned a reputation as one of the rising stars in coaching."

🔹 Former Head Coach Leonard Hamilton on Loucks:
"Luke was an exceptional Seminole player who played a key role in leading Florida State to its first ACC Championship… He and Stevi [his wife] embody what it means to be a Seminole. They are family."

💡 What’s Next for Loucks?
🔜 Press Conference Monday – Loucks will officially be introduced to the FSU community.
🏀 Building His Staff – He is focused on recruiting competitive, high-IQ, skilled players with NBA aspirations to shape the future of FSU basketball.
🔥 Creating a Championship Culture – “We will have a standard that we stick to on and off the court that will help build a championship-level culture.”

📅 More on FSU’s new head coach here.

⛳ No. 6 FSU Women’s Golf Leads Briars Creek Invitational

Florida State women’s golf dominated round one of the Briars Creek Invitational, holding a nine-stroke lead over Kent State as they chase their fourth consecutive tournament title.

🔥 Leaderboard Standings (After Round 1):
🥇 1st – Florida State (-8, 280)
🥈 2nd – Kent State (+1, 289)
🥉 T-3rd – NC State & Purdue (+3, 291)

🏆 Key Performers:

⭐ Lottie Woad (-5, 67) – No. 1 amateur in the world; five birdies, 13 pars
⭐ Mirabel Ting (-5, 67) – No. 3 amateur in the world; four birdies, one eagle
⭐ Sophia Fullbrook (-1, 71) – Birdied her final three holes
⭐ Alexandra Gazzoli (E, 72) – Playing as an individual, four birdies

💬 Coach Amy Bond on FSU’s Performance:
"I'm really proud of the girls because they all handled adversity well. We didn't have a practice round, but they were smart, used their yardage books, and executed their shots."

⛈️ Weather Impact:
➡️ Round 2 canceled due to extreme weather
➡️ Final round set for Tuesday morning

With 19 birdies and an eagle, the Seminoles are in prime position to claim another championship.

📅 What’s Next?
FSU will tee off in the final round Tuesday morning, looking to secure their fourth straight title.

🔗 More on FSU’s dominant showing here.

🎾 No. 26 FSU Men’s Tennis Falls to No. 9 Stanford

Florida State wrapped up its first ACC road weekend with a 4-0 loss to No. 9 Stanford on Sunday afternoon.

🔥 Match Highlights:

✅ Doubles Victory:
💪 Bulte/Rihane defeated No. 37 Banerjee/Tazeghi (6-4) for their first ranked win of the spring.

💥 Close Battles in Singles:
➡️ Alex Bulte won his first set tiebreaker vs. No. 56 Henry von der Schulenburg before the match was left unfinished.
➡️ Erik Schiessl extended his set-win streak to four before his match was cut short.
➡️ Joshua Dous-Karpenschif fought back to force a third set on Court 5.

Stanford took straight-set victories on Courts 1 and 6 before clinching the match with a three-set win on Court 5.

📅 What’s Next?
The Seminoles (10-5, 2-2 ACC) continue their road stretch with matchups against No. 6 NC State and No. 1 Wake Forest this week.

🔗 More on FSU Tennis’ weekend here.

🥎 No. 8 FSU Softball Falls to No. 12 Oregon, 1-0

For the second time in three days, Florida State’s offense struggled against No. 12 Oregon, falling 1-0 in Sunday’s finale at the Jane Sanders Classic. The Seminoles (20-5) managed just two hits as Oregon (22-2) scratched across the game’s only run in the fifth inning.

🔥 Game Recap:

⚡ FSU’s Only Hits:
➡️ Jaysoni Beachum broke up Oregon’s perfect start with a 4th-inning single.
➡️ Isa Torres added a 6th-inning single.

🛑 Pitching Breakdown:
✅ Ashtyn Danley – 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 K
✅ Jazzy Francik (L, 3-2) – 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 K

Oregon’s Elise Sokolsky (W, 5-1) was dominant, throwing a complete-game 2-hitter with 5 strikeouts.

📅 What’s Next?
The Seminoles wrap up their road trip Tuesday, March 11, with a doubleheader vs. Portland State (5 PM ET, ESPN+).

🔗 More on FSU Softball’s weekend here.

🏊‍♂️ FSU Diving Opens NCAA Zone Championships, Freshman Hayden Schroeder Advances to Finals

Florida State kicked off the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in Auburn, Alabama, with freshman Hayden Schroeder leading the way, advancing to the finals in his first-ever NCAA Zone meet.

🔥 Top Performers (Men’s 1-Meter):
🏆 Hayden Schroeder – 10th place (666.15 pts) ✅ Finalist!
💪 Jack Bessire – 23rd place (288.30 pts)
🔰 Noah Turner – 26th place (270.80 pts)

🔹 Schroeder entered the finals in 13th place with 317.25 points before climbing to 10th overall.
🔹 The top 7 finishers qualified for the NCAA Championships.

📅 What’s Next?
The four-day meet continues with both men’s and women’s events:

🗓 Monday, March 10
🔹 12 PM ET – Women’s 1-Meter Prelims
🔹 2:45 PM ET – Women’s 1-Meter Finals
🔹 4:45 PM ET – Men’s 3-Meter Prelims
🔹 7:00 PM ET – Men’s 3-Meter Finals

🔗 More on FSU Diving’s NCAA Zone Championship run here.

⚾ FSU Baseball's Sunday Game vs. Lipscomb Canceled

Due to impending weather and a travel curfew, Florida State’s Sunday matchup against Lipscomb was canceled.

📅 What’s Next?
🏟️ FSU vs. No. 7 Florida
🕕 Tuesday, March 11 | 6:00 PM ET
📍 Dick Howser Stadium

🏈 FSU Running Back Room: Spring Outlook & Key Questions

With spring practice approaching, Florida State's running back room enters a critical evaluation period as the Seminoles search for a true No. 1 back while adapting to Gus Malzahn’s new offensive scheme.

🔥 Key Storylines:

🔹 Returning from Injury: Roydell Williams & Jaylin Lucas missed most of 2024—how will they bounce back?
🔹 Development Needed: Kam Davis & Sam Singleton have potential but must improve in pass protection.
🔹 Newcomer to Watch: Ousmane Kromah arrives this summer—can he push for immediate playing time?

📊 Projected Pre-Spring Depth Chart:

🔻 RB1: Starter: Roydell Williams | Backup: Kam Davis
🔻 RB2: Starter: Sam Singleton | Backup: Jaylin Lucas
🔻 Wildcard: Caziah Holmes & Kromah (summer arrival) in the mix

💬 Mike Norvell on Missing Lucas & Williams Last Season:
"You feel their passion for this team. You feel the investment.”

🔍 Biggest Question:
Can any of these backs emerge as a reliable, every-down playmaker in Malzahn’s offense?

🔗 More on FSU’s running back competition here.

And that’s a wrap!

Another action-packed edition of The Chief Brief is in the books! Florida State is turning the page to a new era in basketball, continuing its dominance in golf, and gearing up for some high-stakes matchups across multiple sports.

📅 What’s coming up next?
🏀 Luke Loucks' first official press conference as FSU’s head coach.
⚾ FSU Baseball vs. No. 7 Florida in a massive midweek showdown.
🏈 Spring practice is right around the corner—who will step up in the backfield?
🥎 Softball looks to bounce back after a tough weekend in Oregon.

See you next time, and as always—Go Noles! 🍢🏹