Leonard Hamilton, one of college basketball’s most respected coaches, is officially retiring, closing the book on a career that spanned nearly four decades as a head coach and saw him become Florida State’s all-time wins leader. But before Hamilton was a fixture in Tallahassee, before he built Miami’s basketball program into a force, and before he even became a head coach, he was an integral part of Kentucky basketball’s evolution—thanks to a man he called friend: Joe B. Hall.
Breaking Barriers at Kentucky
Long before Hamilton was at Florida State, he spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Kentucky from 1974 to 1986. When Hall hired him, Hamilton became the first Black assistant coach in program history, a groundbreaking moment. By 1980, he had been promoted to associate head coach, the first in Kentucky’s storied history.
Hamilton had nearly given up on coaching, there was not very many opportunities for Black coaches to go anywhere near the top of the bench. But Hall saw something in him and did the right thing, he took a chance—one that would not only change Hamilton’s life but also the trajectory of Kentucky basketball forever.
“That was the smartest thing Joe B. ever did,” said Kenny Walker in an NYT interview, one of the dozens of high school All-Americans Hamilton recruited to Kentucky. “He needed someone who could go out and identify and recruit Black players. Coach Hall could always close the deal, but Leonard Hamilton opened a lot of doors.” A great 1-2 combo.
Hamilton quickly became an elite recruiter, bringing in players like James Lee and Jack Givens, who led Kentucky to the 1978 national championship. His ability to connect with top talent helped modernize Kentucky’s roster at a time when the program was finally beginning to shed its reputation as slow to integrate. Without Hamilton, it's entirely possible Kentucky never gets Lee or Givens or the 78 title.
The Influence of Joe B. Hall
Hamilton has never shied away from giving credit to Hall for shaping his coaching career. When Hall passed away, Hamilton called him a “guardian of Kentucky basketball” and said he would be “forever in our hearts.”
Hall opened the door at Kentucky and showed that hiring Black coaches and recruiting Black players works at Kentucky. Without him, who knows how long it would have taken?
Hall’s decision to hire Hamilton wasn’t just about adding a great recruiter—it was a step toward changing the culture of Kentucky basketball. “Joe Hall loved Kentucky with a passion like no other,” Hamilton once said. That passion extended beyond wins and losses; it was about securing the future of the program, both on the court and in its evolving identity.
Hamilton’s Own Legacy
Hamilton eventually left Kentucky to take his first head coaching job at Oklahoma State in 1986, and from there, he built a career defined on defensive intensity, and program-building the right way. After a successful run with Miami, he took over at Florida State in 2002, transforming the Seminoles into an ACC powerhouse.
By the time he announced his retirement, Hamilton had amassed over 600 career wins and was widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in the game. He was a trailblazer plain and simple. He opened the door for so many, and the game owes him a lot.
While he’ll always be linked to Florida State, and rightfully so, a big part of his story is Kentucky. That’s where he learned from a Hall of Famer, where he helped build championship teams, and where he became a pioneer in a program that desperately needed one. Hamilton’s retirement marks the end of an era, but his impact—on Kentucky, on Florida State, and on the game itself—will be felt for generations.