Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

TGIF Seminole!

🔥 FSU Women’s Basketball is set for a huge showdown against No. 14 UNC in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, while Makayla Timpson earns finalist honors for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award.

⚾ FSU Baseball keeps rolling, extending its unbeaten start to 13-0 after holding off Bethune-Cookman. Meanwhile, FSU Softball continues its dominance with a doubleheader sweep over Jacksonville and UNF.

🏐 FSU Beach Volleyball heads to Texas for a loaded TCU Invitational, and 🎾 FSU Men’s Tennis hits the road for key ACC battles against Cal and Stanford.

🏊‍♀️ FSU Women’s Swimming & Diving is sending six entries to the NCAA Championships, and FSU Women’s Tennis adjusts its schedule with match cancellations.

🏀 On the hardwood, the FSU men’s basketball coaching search is heating up, with key names emerging as Leonard Hamilton’s tenure nears its end.

🏈 FSU Football’s offseason buzz is growing, with Tour of Duty standouts, key recruiting visits locked in, and offensive leaders emerging ahead of spring practice.

A stacked edition is ahead—let’s get into it! ⬇️

🏀 Makayla Timpson Named Finalist for Katrina McClain Award

Florida State’s Makayla Timpson has been named one of five finalists for the 2025 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award, recognizing the nation’s top player at her position.

🔥 Timpson’s Dominant Season:
✅ 15 Double-Doubles (2nd in ACC, FSU record 46 career)
✅ 91 Blocks (Broke her own single-season school record)
✅ 17.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 55% FG
✅ FSU’s All-Time Rebounds Leader (1,066)

🏆 Other Finalists:
🔸 Kiki Iriafen (USC)
🔸 Aneesah Morrow (LSU)
🔸 Yvonne Ejim (Gonzaga)
🔸 Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Baylor)

Timpson, a two-time ACC Player of the Week, also earned First-Team All-ACC and All-Defensive Team honors this week. She helped lead No. 22 FSU to a historic season, including an upset over No. 3 Notre Dame and back-to-back ranked road wins for the first time in program history.

📅 What’s Next?
Timpson and the No. 4-seeded Seminoles begin their ACC Tournament run on Friday at 11 AM ET.

🔗 More on Timpson’s award finalist selection here.

🏀 No. 22 FSU Set for ACC Tournament Quarterfinal vs. No. 14 UNC

The No. 4-seeded Florida State Seminoles (23-7, 13-5 ACC) will take on No. 5-seeded North Carolina (26-6, 13-5 ACC) in the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro.

🔥 Matchup Storylines:
✅ FSU won the regular-season meeting – The Seminoles stunned then-No. 13 UNC 86-84 in Chapel Hill earlier this season.
✅ ACC Tournament History – FSU is 0-2 all-time vs. UNC in the ACC Tournament, with their last postseason meeting in 2011 (78-65 loss).
✅ FSU’s Elite Offense – The Seminoles lead the ACC in scoring (88.2 PPG), powered by the highest-scoring trio in the country:

• 🏆 Ta’Niya Latson (25.4 PPG) – Nation’s leading scorer

• 🔥 Makayla Timpson (17.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 91 blocks) – Katrina McClain Award Finalist

• ⚡ O’Mariah Gordon (16.3 PPG, 2.76 A/T ratio)

🏀 North Carolina’s Path to the Quarterfinals:
UNC defeated No. 12 Boston College, 78-71 in the second round to advance.

📅 Tip-Off: Friday, 11 AM ET
📺 Watch: ESPN2

🔗 More on FSU’s ACC Tournament battle here.

🏐 No. 7 FSU Beach Volleyball Heads to TCU Invitational

The 7th-ranked Seminoles (9-0) travel to Fort Worth, Texas this weekend for the TCU Invitational (March 7-8), where they’ll face a strong slate of ranked opponents, including No. 13 Texas, No. 4 TCU, No. 12 FAU, and Boise State.

🔥 FSU’s Season So Far:
✅ One of three unbeaten teams in the nation
✅ Swept the Seminole Beach Bash with wins over No. 15 Georgia State (twice), Houston Christian, and CSU Bakersfield
✅ CCSA Pair of the Week – Carra Sassack & Bailey Higgins (undefeated on courts two & three)

🏐 Weekend Matchups:
📅 Friday
🆚 No. 13 Texas – First-ever meeting; Longhorns also 9-0
🆚 No. 4 TCU – FSU leads series 14-6 but lost last meeting (2023 CCSA Tournament)

📅 Saturday
🆚 No. 12 FAU – FSU leads 16-0 in all-time series
🆚 Boise State – First-ever matchup

🏆 FSU Coach Brooke Niles remains the winningest coach in NCAA beach volleyball history (272 wins), ahead of Texas’s Stein Metzger (258).

📅 Match Times:
🕘 Friday: 9:00 AM & 3:00 PM
🕘 Saturday: 9:00 AM & 3:00 PM

🔗 More on FSU Beach Volleyball’s weekend ahead here.

🌧 Schedule Updates: FSU Baseball & Women’s Tennis

⚾ FSU Baseball vs. Lipscomb – Adjusted Game Times
Due to expected weather issues in Tallahassee, Florida State has adjusted game times for its weekend series against Lipscomb:

📅 Updated Schedule:
🕔 Friday, March 7 – 5:00 PM (Originally 6:00 PM)
🕛 Saturday, March 8 – 12:00 PM (Originally 2:00 PM)
🕛 Sunday, March 9 – 12:00 PM (Originally 1:00 PM)

🏀 FSU Basketball Coaching Search Enters Key Phase

With Leonard Hamilton set to step down at the end of the season, Florida State’s search for its eighth full-time head coach is heating up. As the regular season wraps up and coaching vacancies begin to emerge nationwide, FSU is working through its finalist pool.

🔎 What We Know About the Hiring Process:

💰 Financials Matter – FSU’s reported budget:

• Head Coach Salary: ~$2 million

• Assistant Coach Salary Pool: ~$1.5 million

• Roster-Building Budget (NIL): ~$1.3 million

• These figures may give some candidates pause as they weigh other potential opportunities.

👀 Top Candidates:
🟡 NBA Assistants with FSU Ties

• Luke Loucks (Sacramento Kings) – Strong candidate with deep FSU connections; recently met with VP/AD Michael Alford.

• Sam Cassell (Boston Celtics) – FSU legend, mutual interest in the job.

🔵 Current College Head Coaches

• Bucky McMillan (Samford) – "Bucky Ball" offensive system has intrigued FSU; has momentum.

• Bryan Hodgson (Arkansas State) – FSU has had in-depth talks, but concerns remain over system fit.

• Andy Kennedy (UAB) – Experienced coach now confirmed to be in the mix.

🔴 Top College Assistants (Least Preferred Route)

• Chris Carrawell (Duke Assistant) – Strong resume but not FSU’s first choice.

🔜 What’s Next?

• FSU is conducting finalist interviews with a small group of decision-makers.

• VP/AD Michael Alford will make the final call, aiming to move quickly to stabilize the roster and attack the transfer portal for the 2025-26 season.

🔗 More on FSU’s coaching search here.

🏈 FSU Transfer OT Gunnar Hansen Ready to Lead & Win Big

Florida State landed a dream-school commitment in December when Vanderbilt offensive tackle Gunnar Hansen transferred to Tallahassee. A three-year starter in the SEC, Hansen grew up in South Florida dreaming of playing for either FSU or Miami—and now, he's finally home.

🔥 Why Hansen Chose FSU:

• Originally scheduled five official visits, but only took one—to FSU.

• Felt an immediate connection with Mike Norvell, Gus Malzahn, and OL coach Herb Hand.

• Recognized that he was a key need for the Seminoles in 2025.

💬 "I planned to take all five, but I came here … I just felt like it was the right place for me. No turning back from there."

🏆 Leadership & SEC Experience

• Served as a team captain at Vanderbilt.

• Experienced both major struggles (2-10 record) and big wins (beating Alabama in 2024).

• Wants to lead by example before being vocal:
  💬 "You lose a rep, bounce back. You win a rep, bounce back. Just staying the course."

🚀 High Expectations for FSU’s Offense

• Has already bought into OC Gus Malzahn’s vision for an elite offense.
  💬 “Coach Malzahn preaches every day, we’re going to be the best offense in college football.”

Hansen brings experience, toughness, and leadership—all things the Seminoles need as they reload for 2025.

🔗 More on Hansen’s journey to FSU here.

💪 Strength Coach Josh Storms on Tour of Duty: New Faces, Same Standard

With 30+ newcomers and a 51-player turnover from last year, Florida State’s Tour of Duty (ToD) had a different feel in 2025. But according to strength & conditioning director Josh Storms, the standard remains the same—and several players, both returning and new, stood out.

🔥 Key Takeaways from ToD:

🟡 Veterans Leading the Charge

• Darrell Jackson (DT) – Earned the coveted Turquoise Jersey for perfect effort & leadership.

• Thomas Castellanos (QB) – Called a "masterclass" in team integration & leadership, quickly building relationships.

• Adrian Medley & Micah Pettus (OL Transfers) – Praised for work ethic & leadership.

🔵 Young Stars Making an Impression

• Shamar Arnoux (DB, 6’2”, 175 lbs) – Flipped from Auburn, showing elite movement skills.

• Max Redmon (DB) – Underrated prospect with strong frame & instincts.

🗣️ Storms on Castellanos:
"The way he's come in and built relationships… guys are drawn to that, guys feed off that. He’s setting himself up to be a leader."

FSU’s spring practice begins March 19, and these standouts will look to carry their ToD momentum onto the field.

🔗 More on FSU’s winter workouts here.

🏈 Recruiting Heats Up: 4⭐ WR Brandon Bennett Locks in FSU Visits

With the NCAA dead period now over, Florida State is ramping up recruiting efforts as spring visits begin. One key target making his way to Tallahassee? 2026 four-star wide receiver Brandon Bennett from American Heritage (FL).

🔥 Bennett’s FSU Visit Schedule:

📅 March 22 – Legacy Weekend (Alongside 4⭐ QB Bowe Bentley)
📅 June 6 – Official Visit

📊 Bennett’s Recruiting Profile:

• National Rank: No. 218 (On3 Industry)

• Position Rank: No. 36 WR in the 2026 class

• Size: 6'0", 165 lbs

🏆 FSU in the Mix with Other Contenders

• Miami – Visit scheduled for this spring

• Florida – Working on setting a date

• Georgia – Previously visited for Junior Day in February

Bennett’s interest in FSU is strong, and the Seminoles will get two key chances to make an impression as they look to land another South Florida playmaker.

🔗 More on FSU’s latest recruiting updates here.

🏈 4⭐ LB Adam Balogoun-Ali Sets Busy Spring Visit Schedule—FSU in the Mix

West Palm Beach (Fla.) Top247 linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali is one of the most sought-after defenders in the 2026 class, boasting nearly 40 offers from top programs across the country.

🔥 Spring Visit Schedule:

Balogoun-Ali has locked in visits to nine schools, with stops across the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten.

📍 March 4 – Missouri
📍 March 22 – Miami
📍 March 29 – North Carolina
📍 March 30 – NC State
📍 March 31 – Clemson
📍 April 5 – Auburn
📍 April 12 – Florida
📍 April 17 – Colorado
📍 April 25 – Penn State

🔍 Where Does FSU Stand?

• The Seminoles remain a major contender, alongside Florida, Miami, and Auburn.

• Expect FSU to push for an official visit this summer.

🔎 Scouting Report (via 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins):

✅ Elite explosiveness – Flies through gaps, disruptive blitzer.
✅ Multi-sport athlete – Strong track & field background.
✅ Physical frame (6'2", 205 lbs) – Already well-developed.
🔧 Needs to refine tackling technique & flexibility.

Balogoun-Ali projects as a multi-year Power 4 starter, with the upside to be a game-changer at the next level.

🔗 More on FSU’s pursuit of Balogoun-Ali here.

And that’s a wrap!

🔥 FSU is making moves on the field, on the court, and in the recruiting battle—postseason runs, record-breaking performances, and key hires are all on the horizon.

⚾ Baseball & Softball keep winning.
🏀 Women’s Hoops eyes an ACC Tournament run.
🏈 Spring football is almost here.
💪 The next era of FSU Basketball is taking shape.

Stay locked in—we’ll be back with all the latest from Tallahassee!