FSU’s Leonard Hamilton to Step Down As NIL Lawsuit Unfolds

On Monday, longtime Florida State men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton announced he would step down from his role at the end of the season. 

The news comes about a month after six former FSU men’s basketball players filed a lawsuit against Hamilton in Leon County, Florida, alleging that he did not deliver on $1.5 million in “promised” NIL payments. Hamilton allegedly told players and their families in both written and verbal communications that they would each receive $250,000 NIL payments from Hamilton’s business partners at some point during the 2023-24 season. But the payments never materialized, and the athletes decided to sue in December of 2024.

Hamilton did not indicate in a public statement that the NIL landscape influenced his decision, and a source confirmed to Front Office Sports that it wasn’t the predominant factor in his decision. The timing was related to the transfer portal window, which opens March 15, as well as what worked best for Hamilton and for the team’s transition, the source confirmed.

Hamilton’s decision does not impact the litigation itself, an attorney for the plaintiffs, Darren Heitner, confirmed to FOS. The litigation is ongoing.

“I am proud of the quality of the young men that it was my privilege to lead, for their faith in this program and in their belief in the philosophy that we tried to instill in them over the years,” Hamilton said in a statement Monday. “I have been blessed beyond words for the opportunity and the experience we’ve had here. “My family and I truly love this place, this institution, and its people. I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets.”

FSU athletic director said that Hamilton’s “personal character and integrity, and his leadership, set a tremendous standard for all of FSU Athletics.”

Hamilton touts an illustrious resume: Through his tenures at Oklahoma State, Miami, and FSU, he has coached teams to 22 postseasons. He is the all-time winningest basketball coach in FSU history, having coached 19 players who have been selected in the NBA Draft.