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A member of the Florida State University basketball staff went viral for his reaction when the Seminoles successfully challenged a play at his suggestion in the team’s 95-89 victory over California in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
Michael Rubin, student director and video director for the men’s basketball team, became part of the March Madness chaos this week after suggesting a challenge to head coach Luke Loucks that resulted in an overturned decision in favor of the Seminoles.
Florida State Seminoles guard Martin Somerville (1) dribbles as California Golden Bears guard Nolan Dorsey (21) defends in the second half at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 11, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
The ACC posted a video of Rubin celebrating with another staff member, resulting in the viral moment. Loucks can also be seen in the video turning towards Rubin to punch him after the successful challenge.
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“Go away, king,” one person wrote on X.
“The conviction to tell your HC to challenge the play is enough courage… and then you do it right!!! That’s building trust right there,” added another.
Rubin’s role this season stems from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which approved a new rule – the coach’s challenge – in June. Under the rule, coaches can question “out-of-bounds calls, basket interference or goaltender presence and whether a secondary defender was on goal in the restricted area.”
Florida State Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks during the ACC men’s basketball tournament between the California Golden Bears and the Florida State Seminoles at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 11, 2026. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Teams must have a timeout to request an instant replay, and if the challenge is successful, they will be allowed one more video review challenge for the remainder of the game. This includes overtime. But if a team’s first review challenge is unsuccessful, they will not be allowed to challenge for the rest of the contest.
Florida State has used Rubin and assistant director of operations Ryan Shnider to capitalize on the new rule change. According to the team’s website, the pair are sitting behind Loucks “carefully studying every play of every game.”
Florida State Seminoles forward Alex Steen (25) reacts in the first half at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 11, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
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“These guys (Ryan and Michael) work hard every day,” Loucks said earlier this month, via team website. “They do it because they love the game and they love the program. They put in a lot of time and effort, and they’re in a tough situation. It’s a really challenging job because I’m asking them if I should challenge or not. They have to make a split-second decision that can win or lose you a game.”
Rubin is in his third season as team manager and is in his third year of specializing in sports management. Ahead of Florida State’s quarterfinal matchup against Duke on Thursday night, Rubin gave a farewell message to X following his viral moment.
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“We move forward, grateful for every moment.”
