He took the Seminoles to the NCAA tournament four years in a row, including a spot in the round of 16 in 2011. Michael Jordan hired Hamilton to coach the Washington Wizards for a year. He's also sitting comfortable on an offseason extension that will pay $2.25 million annually through the 2016-17.
That may not be the strongest resume in the world -- or in the Atlantic Coast Conference that now features Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Jim Boeheim, or a state that includes Billy Donovan. But Hamilton has security at a program that's part of one of the strongest basketball conferences.
Hamilton wants -- and expects -- more.
"In a conference like the ACC, you have short (term) objectives and you have long (term) objectives, and you have to be prepared for the unexpected," Hamilton said. "You always have to anticipate those basketball demons that raise their ugly heads.
"Our goal is to become, not just a good basketball program, but an elite basketball program. In other words, cracking into the hierarchy is a challenge that you have to be on 24-7."
That hierarchy always included taking shots at Duke and North Carolina, but now Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are in the mix. Louisville replaces Maryland in 2014-15. Hamilton has always taken pride in his team's defense, and that's the primary focus after the Seminoles ranked No. 223 in scoring defense during last year's 18-16 campaign that ended in a NIT loss in the first round. The 12th-year coach, however, knows things don't get any easier down the road.
"Over the last eight years, there's only two teams that have won more games than we have in our league - Duke and Carolina," Hamilton said. "But we're not satisfied with being third. We want to see if we can be the top team in the conference.
"That challenge has just gotten tougher with the addition of the other teams. Yes, we're concerned about this season, but as a staff we're looking toward the future."
FORMER MARQUETTE PLAYER DIES
Marquette University says a member of its 1977 NCAA championship team has died at age 57. The university says Gary Rosenberger passed away Monday morning due to complications from a heart attack and stroke he suffered last Tuesday.
Rosenberger, a guard, was a four-year letter winner at Marquette and was a graduate of Marquette High School. Rosenberger was also drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1978 in the ninth round.
CBS ANNOUNCES HOOPS SCHEDULE
CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network will show 240 games, including six conference championships, in its 2013-14 college basketball schedule.
CBS Sports Network announced Monday it will televise over 200 games, the most ever by the network, with the first game featuring Southern California at Utah State on Nov. 8. CBS Sports, entering its 33rd consecutive season of college basketball coverage, will start on Dec. 7 with UCLA at Missouri.
CITY TO HOST UCONN GAMES
Connecticut's biggest city will be hosting some UConn basketball this season.
The University of Connecticut announced Monday that the men's and women's basketball teams will each play a regular-season game at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.
It will be the first time since 1987 that UConn basketball will play home games outside of Storrs or Hartford.
The UConn men will host Eastern Washington in Bridgeport on Dec. 28, and the women will host Temple at Bridgeport on Jan. 11.
