Why didn’t they needlessly hold on to their problematic title for extra decades?

From the freaking source:

"The name was interpreted as a Native American reference in the 1960s, and the university did have a mascot (adorned in Native American dress), which eventually led to the team's name change to the Red Storm."

Cool team way too just go with the flow and not cause a needless stink.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/06/08/St-Johns-to-annoucne-new-nickname/6428771048000/

Some other name candidates were Thunder, Red Thunder, Rolling Thunder and Red Raiders.

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They probably felt it wasn't worth the trouble. Besides, Red Storm is a way cooler name anyway.

If you’re talking about the Redskins it’s funny. You go into SE or Trinidad and you’ll still see people wearing Skins hats and gear. The people who cared about the team name was people not from the area or white people that moved in and gentrified enough of the city. Most local fans didn’t care.

Right. It’s not like they were unaware of how it could be interpreted. They have a library.

The same thing happened with the McGill University sports teams a few years ago. They were the Redmen and Redwomen and changed to the Redbirds. It also was apparently a reference to the red hair of the university's namesake.

I know the team had been controversial since the 90s.

I don’t like how people always brush off criticism by saying “only [majority group] cares, [minority group] liked it, most of the time it’s not correct.

Yet Florida State still call themselves the Seminoles

That's different, as the Seminole Tribe of Florida has given FSU explicit permission to use the name, imagery, and mascot in the likeness of their members. Source

In addition to an actual tribe name being different than "Redmen", "Redskins", and the like.

Should have gone all Mccarthy and changed it to the Red Menace.

That is also a cool name. I like Red Storm better, though.

Wait until they find out about the New Zealand National Rugby Team.

Here's a good one for you. In 1998, the Alberta government changed the name of one of the Rocky Mountains from "Chinaman's Peak" to "Ha Ling Peak", because it was deemed to be offensive. Ha Ling was a Chinese railway labourer who did two things: he scaled the mountain in 1896 to win a bet, and to honour his fellow Chinese railway workers, he named it Chinaman's Peak.