SAN FRANCISCO ― Todd Golden stepped down the ladder, net draped around his neck, shortly after Florida basketball's 84-79 comeback win over Texas Tech in the Elite Eight at the Chase Center on Saturday afternoon.
The 39-year-old Golden then turned to guard Alijah Martin, one of his senior starters, and passed the net off to him, before locking in an embrace.
The Florida Gators are headed back to the Final Four for the first time since 2014, and Golden's combination of leadership and coaching acumen is a big reason why. It was a successful return to the Bay Area for Golden, who was a player at Saint Mary's and coach at San Francisco before being hired at UF in 2022. A trip that began with a team dinner at Golden's favorite Italian restaurant in the city, Original Joe's, ended with two wins and a Steph Curry-like performance from Walter Clayton Jr. in crunch time to help the Gators rally from down 10 points in the second half.
"It's absolutely incredible," Golden said. "It's a direct result of the work that our players have done all year and the work my staff has done. They've all, to a man, been incredibly consistent, unselfish and worked their tail off. We don't do this without the collective work of our program.
"But I'm incredibly proud to be able to be here in year three. And to get Florida back to the Final Four is something that's incredibly special."
Two of Golden's mentors ― Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett and Stanford coach Kyle Smith ― were in the stands to witness his coronation. Golden played at Saint Mary's from 2004-08 under Bennett and Smith and was an assistant coach under Smith at Columbia and San Francisco.
"They always treated me like I needed to always be perfect," Golden said. "And at the time, I would get frustrated with their intense coaching and Coach Smith's intense coaching. But looking back on it, I'm just grateful for the belief he had in me and the opportunity he provided me at Saint Mary's. And being able to play for those guys and go to two NCAA Tournaments was kind of the backbone of my coaching career now."
What Florida athletic director saw in Florida basketball coach Todd Golden
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin bucked the trend around the rest of the SEC in hiring more established coaches when he hired Golden from San Francisco to replace Mike White.
"It wasn't a three-year decision," Stricklin said. "It was a long-term decision. I felt like Todd, because of his intellect, because of his relational abilities, the way he saw the game analytically, that he was going to be successful for a long, long time."
Under Golden, Florida has improved from 16 wins in his first season to 24 wins in his second season to 34 wins in year three.
"He's obviously delivered in every way since the day he came to campus," Stricklin said. "He's not an ego guy. He makes it about other people. That's a rarity. There's a lot of coaches out there that make it about them. He doesn't make it about him. He makes it about his staff, his players."
Florida players relate to the 39-year-old Golden, who often joins them for pre-practice shootarounds.
"A lot of head coaches just sit up in their office, don't come down, don't do anything with the players," Florida sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said. "But Coach Golden comes in the weight room, joking with us. It creates a bond within our team that's leading to the success we're at right now."
Golden said the Florida Gators will fly ...
