Florida State has hired former player and two-time NBA champion Luke Loucks as its men’s basketball head coach, FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford announced Sunday.
“I’m excited to announce that Luke Loucks has accepted our offer to become the next head men’s basketball coach at Florida State,” Alford said. “Luke will bring a unique combination of qualities to our program, and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of our basketball history under his leadership. Throughout basketball at both the professional and collegiate levels, Luke has earned a reputation as one of the rising stars in coaching. Having been a key part of some of the best of what FSU basketball has been as a player, he also brings proven ability to develop players at the highest level of the sport.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Luke Loucks back to Florida State University as our next head men’s basketball coach,” Florida State President Richard McCullough said. “Luke’s exceptional coaching ability, profound leadership skills, and extensive basketball knowledge make him the perfect fit to lead our program. As a former Seminole, he understands the values and traditions that define FSU basketball. I am confident that under his guidance, Florida State will continue to achieve great success and uphold the proud legacy of Seminole basketball. Welcome home, Coach Loucks!”
Loucks brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in professional, collegiate and international basketball. He specializes in on-court instruction and player development and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings after spending time on staff with the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
“I am incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the head coach for the Florida State men’s basketball team,” Loucks said. “FSU has a rich basketball tradition, and I look forward to building on the legacy of our previous coaches, especially Coach Hamilton. I’d like to thank the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors for providing me with a strong coaching foundation. I’m eager to build our coaching staff with the best and brightest basketball coaches in America. They will have characteristics that support and push me while helping me build and develop a competitive team year after year. We will have a standard that we stick to on and off the court that will help build a championship-level culture. I am privileged to have seen firsthand what winning feels like at Florida State, and I am hungry for more.”
His time in the NBA included working with perennial All-Stars Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Zach Lavine. During Loucks’ time in Golden State, Durant was twice named NBA Finals MVP and was also a first-team All-NBA selection. Curry earned first-team All-NBA honors three times with Loucks on staff, and Green was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
“Our staff will recruit and fill our roster with competitive, high-IQ and highly skilled players with professional basketball aspirations,” Loucks said. “Our job is to mold those individuals into a cohesive unit that understands our vision and the way we want to play. My wife and three children are thrilled to move back home to Florida, where our families live and community ties are strong. We can’t wait to build something special in Tallahassee.”
Loucks was part of a staff that led the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships, winning the 2017 title in five games over the Cleveland Cavaliers and repeating in 2018 with a sweep of the Cavaliers. The Warriors posted a postseason record of 46-14 in his four seasons with the franchise, including a 16-1 mark in the 2017 Playoffs that set the NBA record for the best winning percentage in a single Playoffs.
“I’m very excited about the future of our men’s basketball program, and also very pleased that this new era will represent a bridge to a successful past with a path to an even brighter future,” Alford said. “I’m also excited that Luke and his wife, Stevi, both intimately understand the experience of being an FSU student-athlete. They understand what a special place this is, and I’m extremely grateful for their desire to want to be part of it again.”
Before returning to Tallahassee to lead Florida State, Loucks spent the three previous seasons as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. He was Sacramento’s defensive coordinator in 2024-25, helping the Kings to their best defensive showing in 20 seasons. In his first two seasons, he worked with the Kings’ offense. The 2022-23 team broke the NBA’s single-season offensive efficiency rating with a mark of 119.4 that was a full point better than the previous record.
In 2022-23, his first season with the Kings, the team posted a 48-34 record, the franchise’s most wins since 2004-05, and made the Playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. The next year, he helped the Kings produce 46 wins for the franchise’s best two-year stretch since the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. He also coached the Nigerian National Team, helping Nigeria defeat Team USA in a pre-Olympics exhibition game and then rank first among all countries with an average of 11.0 steals per game at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Loucks helped lead FSU to the NCAA Tournament in all four of his seasons as a player, the first time in program history the Seminoles advanced to the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive years. He was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team in 2012 after leading Florida State to the program’s first ACC Tournament title.
In the ACC Championship Game victory over top-seed and No. 4-ranked North Carolina, Loucks tied the program record for most assists in a game against an ACC opponent with 13. His 136 career games played are No. 4 on FSU’s all-time list, and he still ranks 10th in program history with 391 career assists. After his FSU playing career, Loucks played three seasons in Europe and one year in the NBA Development League.
Loucks earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Florida State in 2011 and completed his master’s degree in sport management from FSU in 2012. He and his wife, Stevi, have three children. He is married to the former Stevi Steinhauer, who competed in freestyle, butterfly and relay events for FSU from 2006-10. Loucks’ sister, Emma, played on the Florida State women’s basketball team her freshman year and their father, Lincoln, also attended Florida State.
Luke Loucks Coaching History
2025- Florida State Head Coach
2022-25 Sacramento Kings (NBA) Assistant Coach
2021-22 Phoenix Suns (NBA) Basketball Strategy and Personnel Evaluation
2019-21 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Player Development Coach
2017-19 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Two-Way Player Development Coach
2016-17 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Film and Player Development Intern
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT LUKE LOUCKS
“Luke was an exceptional Seminole player who played a key role in leading Florida State to its first ACC Championship. I’m very proud to see him return as head coach of a program he helped elevate to such great heights. Luke and Stevi embody what it means to be a Seminole — wearing the Garnet and Gold isn’t just part of their past; it’s part of who they are. They are family, and it’s special to have a Florida State basketball coach who truly understands that. I also want to commend Director of Athletics Michael Alford and Deputy Director of Athletics Doug Walker for conducting a thoughtful and thorough search process, resulting in an excellent choice to lead the Florida State program into its next chapter.” Leonard Hamilton, Florida State Head Coach 2002-2025
“Luke Loucks is a skilled coach and especially gifted at player development. He helped Kings players reach All-Star and All-NBA honors. He is passionate about FSU, and I know he is prepared for this special opportunity.” Monte McNair, Sacramento Kings General Manager
“I am incredibly thrilled for Luke, as he is incredibly deserving of this opportunity. Florida State is getting an absolute winner as a head coach and a gem of a person. Luke has experience in every facet of the game. He’s fantastic with player development, was part of a championship program in Golden State and was a huge asset to my coaching staff in Sacramento. He is a terrific connector with players and people and will be a tremendous leader on and off the floor for the Seminoles. I know Luke, his wife Stevi and three beautiful children are excited to return to Tallahassee and will be a wonderful addition to the Florida State family.” Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings Head Coach 2022-2024
