FSU's Leonard Hamilton loses friend, mentor as legendary Joe B. Hall dies

Leonard Hamilton lost a friend and mentor Saturday morning.

Joe B. Hall, who coached the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to three Final Fours and the 1978 national championship, died Saturday morning.

He was 93.

Hamilton – in his 20th season at Florida State – spent 12 years as an assistant coach on Hall’s staff at UK, from 1974 to 1986.

Hamilton was also the first Black assistant coach in UK basketball history when hired by Hall. In 1980, Hamilton was named the first associate head coach in program history.

"My condolences go out to Joe B. Hall’s family and the entire University of Kentucky nation. My heart goes out to them," Hamilton said Saturday from Syracuse, where the Seminoles (9-5) play the Orange (8-8) at the Carrier Dome at 3 p.m.

"We have all lost an icon in Kentucky Basketball history. Joe Hall, in my opinion, was one of the strongest guardians of Kentucky basketball. He will forever be in all of our hearts; he loved Kentucky with a passion like no other.

"We are going to lift everyone up in our prayers.”

FSU COVERAGE

• Florida State basketball freshmen showing progress through trial by fire | Weiler

• Measurements, jersey numbers for new Florida State football players released

• Reflecting on a 'challenging' job: Former FSU AD David Coburn eases into retirement

Hamilton, 73, often connected with Hall when FSU traveled to Kentucky for its games at Louisville. Though a North Carolina native, Hamilton still has family members in Lexington.

Hamilton has often said that Hall and his years in Kentucky helped shape him as a coach.

"That whole intensity of being in the fishbowl existence and making sure that you’re aware of the challenges of being in that position — all those things helped prepare me for whenever the opportunity became available for me to become a head coach and have my own program," Hamilton told the Louisville Courier-Journal in 2020.

Had it not been for Joe B. Hall, Leonard Hamilton may have left coaching

Hamilton might not have remained in coaching had it not been for Hall.

Hamilton had spent three years (1971-74) as an assistant at Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee, but had changed professions. Hamilton said he was informed by the school administration that he would not be considered for the head coaching vacancy when it became open.

"The reason I resigned at Austin Peay is I became discouraged that I would not have an opportunity to become the head coach because I was an African American," Hamilton told the Courier-Journal. "I just got discouraged and decided that if I wasn’t going to have an opportunity to be a head coach, I needed to go where I could earn my own stripes."

Just days after Hamilton had taken a job as a salesman at Dow Chemical, Hall telephoned Hamilton and told him he'd been recommended for an assistant coach opening on his staff at UK. Hall had succeeded legendary coach Adolph Rupp at Kentucky

A week later, Hamilton resigned from Dow and joined Hall in Lexington, Kentucky. Hamilton has described Hall's telephone call and job offer as "divine intervention."

Hamilton was on the staff at Kentucky when it finished as the NCAA runner-up in 1975, won the 1978 NCAA Championship and advanced to the 1984 Final Four.

Hamilton then embarked on his 34-year career as a head coach that included Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami and the NBA’s Washington Wizards.

Hired at FSU in 2002, Hamilton has compiled a 409 –233 (.637) record in 20 seasons. He has led the Seminoles to a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight appearance in the last three NCAA Tournaments.

Hamilton is the Seminoles’ all-time winningest coach and is the fifth all-time winningest coach in ACC history. Twelve of his former assistant coaches have moved on to become head coaches at the Division I level.

Reach Jim Henry at jjhenry@tallahassee.com.

No one covers the ‘Noles like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU's Leonard Hamilton spent 12 years at Kentucky with Joe B. Hall