MBB Getting To Know: Coach Todd Golden

We'll also be getting to know the coaching staff. First up is Head Coach Todd Golden . . .



Todd Golden enters his second season as the Florida head coach after leading the Gators to a postseason berth and multiple top-25 wins in 2022-23, becoming the first Florida coach to accomplish both of those benchmarks in his first season.

Golden’s inaugural season at Florida was highlighted by a win vs. second-ranked Tennessee, which matched the highest-ranked win both in regular season win and at home win in Florida history. The Gators also topped #20 Missouri, as Golden joined John Lotz and Tommy Bartlett as the only first-year coaches at Florida to record multiple top-25 wins.

Florida topped rival Florida State in Tallahassee, as the Gators staged a 19-point comeback – fourth-largest in program history – to earn the team’s first road win in the series since 2012.

Colin Castleton earned first-team All-SEC and All-Defensive Team was named USA Today’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year, as he set a Florida record and ranked third in the nation with 3.0 blocked shots per game before suffering a season-ending broken hand on Feb. 15. In addition, Riley Kugel earned SEC All-Freshman honors, as his 12.6 points per game in SEC play marked the most by a Gator freshman in more than a decade (Bradley Beal, 2011-12).

The Gators found an identity on the defensive side of the ball, climbing into the top 10 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings during the course of the season prior to Castleton’s injury. The Gators’ 5.18 blocked shots per game ranked eighth in the nation.

For just the second time, the Gators capped a season under a first-year head coach with a postseason berth, earning a 4-seed in the National Invitation Tournament.

Golden became the 20th head coach of the Florida Gators on March 18, 2022, after guiding the University of San Francisco to 24 wins and its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1998 in the 2021-22 season. Golden led the Dons to a 57-36 record over three seasons as head coach, including 20-win seasons in both 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Golden, 37, is the second-youngest power conference head coach in the nation (Jon Scheyer, Duke).

Prior to being named the Dons' head coach, Golden spent the previous three seasons as San Francisco’s associate head coach under Kyle Smith. In Golden’s six total seasons at USF, the Dons posted at least 20 wins in all seasons except the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Golden has led the USF program in the highly-competitive West Coast Conference, which consistently ranks among the nation’s toughest mid-major conferences. Over the past three seasons, the WCC has been on average KenPom’s strongest-rated conference outside of the traditional power-six leagues and the American Athletic Conference.

During his stint as associate head coach at USF, he served as the Dons' recruiting and defensive coordinator under Smith. San Francisco finished within KenPom’s top 100 defensively five times during Golden’s stint, highlighted by this season’s No. 21 ranking. The Dons complemented their defensive effort with a top-100 offense each of the past four seasons, including a pair of top-50 offenses in 2018-19 and 2021-22.

During Golden’s three seasons as head coach at USF, six different players received eight total all-conference accolades. Three players earned All-WCC honors in 2021-22, with Jamaree Bouyea, Yauhen Massalski and Khalil Shabazz all garnering recognition. Shabazz also earned all-conference honors in 2021, with Dzmitry Ryuny receiving an honorable mention nod. In 2020, Charles Mineland earned All-WCC honors with Bouyea and Jimbo Lull named honorable mention.

Prior to joining Smith's staff in 2016, Golden spent two seasons at the Auburn University under head coach Bruce Pearl. Golden joined the Auburn staff as the director of basketball operations for the 2014-15 season and was elevated to an assistant coaching position for the 2015-16 campaign. He worked closely with the Tigers' guards and handled all scheduling responsibilities. Golden also took a lead role in analytical and metrics data.

Golden spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach on Kyle Smith's staff at Columbia where he helped the Lions to a 21-13 mark and a spot in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. In his only season at Morningside Heights he worked closely with the Lions' defense that held opponents to a stingy 63.3 points per game, which ranked second-best in the Ivy League and 31st nationally. He also served as director of basketball operations for the 2012-13 season.

Golden played collegiately at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., where he helped the Gaels to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior point guard, he ranked second in the nation with a 3.68 assists-to-turnovers ratio and led the West Coast Conference with a .574 3-point field goal percentage. The lone captain of Saint Mary's 2007-08 team, Golden finished his career as the Gaels' all-time leader in free-throw percentage (.852) and eighth with 269 career assists.

After earning his degree in business administration, Golden played two years professionally for Maccabi Haifa in Israel's top division. In 2009, he was co-captain of the USA Open Team, coached by Bruce Pearl, that won gold at the Maccabiah Games. Following his playing career, he spent two years working in sales and marketing in the San Francisco Bay Area, spending time with IMG College and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

Golden is married to the former Megan York, who was a four-year volleyball standout at Saint Mary's and the WCC's Co-Freshman of the Year in 2007.

Florida Record: 16-17 | 2nd Year in 2023-24
Overall Record: 73-53 | 5th Year in 2023-24


Source: Todd Golden - Men's Basketball Coach - Florida Gators