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Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin addressed the future of Florida basketball head coach Todd Golden directly—and his message was simple. Golden isn't going anywhere.
"Todd (Golden) wants to be at the University of Florida," Stricklin said when he spoke with reporters following women's basketball head coach Tammi Reiss' introductory press conference on Tuesday. I wish all those programs really good luck. I'm sure they'll find a good coach out there, and I'm glad Todd's going to be here for a long time."
The comments come amid potential interest from other programs in Golden, who has turned Florida into one of the premier programs in college basketball since arriving in Gainesville in 2022.
Golden led the Gators to the national championship last season and guided Florida to the best record in the SEC this year before the Orange and Blue were eliminated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in a heartbreaking 73-72 second round loss during March Madness.
Stricklin made it clear that the university has been proactive about keeping Golden happy in Gainesville, pointing to back-to-back contract extensions as evidence of the program's commitment to its head coach.
"When we have talented, successful coaches, we're going to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated at the University of Florida," Stricklin said. "We've given Todd new contracts each of the last two years. He's a priority for the University of Florida, and we're going to treat him as such."
Stricklin also pointed to Golden's age as a reason for optimism about the long-term future of the program. At 39 years old, Golden became the youngest national championship coach since Jim Valvano in 1983 when the Gators cut down the nets in San Antonio last year.
"Todd's 40 years old. He's got a long career ahead of him," Stricklin said. "I think a lot of that time's going to be spent at the University of Florida."
Stricklin's comments on Tuesday were a clear signal that the Gators have no intention of letting the stability of this Florida basketball program be threatened.
"I think for the foreseeable future, I know Todd's committed to being here," Stricklin said. "I think he would tell you that, and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure he always knows that he's really valuable."
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Scott Stricklin on Todd Golden's future at Florida basketball
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"Todd (Golden) wants to be at the University of Florida," Stricklin said when he spoke with reporters following women's basketball head coach Tammi Reiss' introductory press conference on Tuesday. I wish all those programs really good luck. I'm sure they'll find a good coach out there, and I'm glad Todd's going to be here for a long time."
The comments come amid potential interest from other programs in Golden, who has turned Florida into one of the premier programs in college basketball since arriving in Gainesville in 2022.
Golden led the Gators to the national championship last season and guided Florida to the best record in the SEC this year before the Orange and Blue were eliminated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in a heartbreaking 73-72 second round loss during March Madness.
Stricklin made it clear that the university has been proactive about keeping Golden happy in Gainesville, pointing to back-to-back contract extensions as evidence of the program's commitment to its head coach.
"When we have talented, successful coaches, we're going to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated at the University of Florida," Stricklin said. "We've given Todd new contracts each of the last two years. He's a priority for the University of Florida, and we're going to treat him as such."
Stricklin also pointed to Golden's age as a reason for optimism about the long-term future of the program. At 39 years old, Golden became the youngest national championship coach since Jim Valvano in 1983 when the Gators cut down the nets in San Antonio last year.
"Todd's 40 years old. He's got a long career ahead of him," Stricklin said. "I think a lot of that time's going to be spent at the University of Florida."
Stricklin's comments on Tuesday were a clear signal that the Gators have no intention of letting the stability of this Florida basketball program be threatened.
"I think for the foreseeable future, I know Todd's committed to being here," Stricklin said. "I think he would tell you that, and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure he always knows that he's really valuable."
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Scott Stricklin on Todd Golden's future at Florida basketball
Continue reading...
