CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Luke Loucks remembers winning an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament title at Florida State when the league’s sideline fixtures included the Seminoles’ Leonard Hamilton, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina’s Roy Williams.
Just 13 years later, those guys have all headed into retirement, along with multiple other marquee names who weren’t even in the league when Loucks played.
As for Loucks, now he’s a 35-year-old first-time head coach for the Seminoles. He’s one of four additions to the coaching ranks in the ACC heading into this season alongside Miami’s Jai Lucas, Virginia’s Ryan Odom and North Carolina State’s Will Wade.
It’s part of a continuing makeover in the league after losing Williams at North Carolina in 2021, Krzyzewski at Duke in 2022, Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and Mike Brey at Notre Dame in 2023, Jim Larrañaga at Miami in 2024, and Tony Bennett at Virginia just before the start of last season. Loucks is taking over in Tallahassee after Hamilton’s 23-year tenure at Florida State ended.
“There was a true backbone to this league with historic coaches,” Loucks said Wednesday during the ACC’s preseason media days event.