With Florida State expected to extend the contract of coach Leonard Hamilton, we thought we would share a popular article from our archives. The article provides candid details on how Hamilton’s predecessor Steve Robinson found his term as head coach come to an end, and how Hamilton got off on the right start. This article appeared in Vol XXV No. 16 of the ACC Sports Journal in April of 2002.
FSU Job Requires Outstanding Recruiter, And Hart Found One in Hamilton
TALLAHASSEE – The end for Steve Robinson appeared to come at Georgia Tech in January. A 31-point loss, Robinson’s ninth ACC defeat of 30 or more points in five seasons, erased the good vibes from a stunning 77-76 win over No. 1 Duke three weeks earlier. FSU’s season of promise was squashed with eight league games remaining.
“If I had to point to a game that was absolutely pivotal in our ability to produce a breakthrough year,” Florida State athletic director Dave Hart said, “it was the Georgia Tech game at Tech.”
The more official end came at Clemson, when it became mathematically impossible for Robinson to earn his first winning season since his 1997-98 debut. Nobody said anything publicly at the time, but… Get access to the rest of this article and unlimited access to the rest of ACCSports.com when you upgrade to Premium Access! Click on the button below to view all the benefits of becoming a Premium Access member.Get the rest of the story right now with Premium Access!
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