Golden Offer: Florida’s Todd Golden Signs 6-year, $40.5 Million Extension

One period aft nan Florida Gators trim down nan nets arsenic NCAA hoops champions, nan assemblage rewarded caput coach Todd Golden pinch a statement extension. The woody is worthy $40.5 cardinal complete six years, keeping Golden successful Gainesville done nan 2031 season. 

Why did Golden person a statement extension?

On April 7, nan Gators came backmost from a 12-point second-half shortage to beat Houston 65-63. The Gators entered nan tourney pinch a No. 1 seed arsenic SEC champions. At 37 years old, Golden became nan youngest caput coach to triumph nan title since nan legendary Jim Valvano did it successful 1983. 

Golden has a 76-33 career grounds astatine Florida, including a 36-4 people successful 2024-25. He and his squad were honored during nan Gators’ outpouring shot crippled connected April 12. After nan ceremony, he talked astir his emotion for nan community.

“My family and I emotion being here,” said Golden. “Obviously, it was a large alteration for america coming from nan West Coast, not knowing a batch of group here. But successful 3 short years, we’ve been capable to meet a batch of awesome group and get comfortable. Florida’s a spot that we tin triumph nationalist championships, arsenic we conscionable proved.”

Analytics has been a cardinal to Golden’s success

Golden whitethorn person besides proved that leaning connected analytics to tally a programme tin work, overmuch nan measurement shot wide head Billy Beane did successful 2002 pinch nan Oakland A’s –– nan squad that inspired nan book and movie, “Moneyball.”

However, stats and shooting percentages are conscionable a portion of nan equation for Golden and his staff. They usage data-driven decision-making successful almost each facet of their program: from recruiting to wellness and wellness to in-game decisions, for illustration erstwhile to sub players and moreover erstwhile to foul. Before nan Final Four began, he was asked why he leans connected those statistics. 

“We effort to tally and run our programme for illustration it’s a business,” Golden said. “We prosecute staffing to do different roles, we enlistee players to presume different roles, and successful a crippled that is changing dramatically by nan year, I deliberation it’s arsenic important now much than ever to beryllium connected nan cutting separator of, you know, conscionable benignant of having an analytical mindset successful nan measurement you attack what you do connected a day-to-day basis.”

What astir nan caller intersexual harassment investigation?

But it hasn’t each been roses for nan erstwhile Saint Mary’s College player. During this past season, nan assemblage wrapped up a four-month investigation into allegations against Golden of intersexual harassment and cyberstalking by aggregate women. In January, Florida announced that investigators recovered nary grounds of wrongdoing by Golden and nan allegations were dismissed.

Golden’s caller woody averages $6.75 cardinal per twelvemonth and makes him 1 of nan apical 5 highest-paid coaches successful nan country. If he were to time off for an NBA caput coaching job, he would person to salary a buyout that starts astatine $3 cardinal and drops by $1 cardinal annually.