One month after defeating the Houston Cougars in the national championship, Florida basketball head coach Todd Golden earned a significant pay raise.
His contract extension is worth $40.5 million over the next six years.
"Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men's basketball back where it belongs," UF athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a May 6 press release. "We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game back in 2022, and he has validated that belief in a relatively short time and helped create memories of a lifetime for another generation of Gator fans."
Golden is set to make $6.75 million per year until 2031. He’ll become the fourth highest-paid coach in the NCAA behind Kansas’ Bill Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari and Connecticut's Dan Hurley. All three coaches have won at least one national championship.
"My family and I are grateful to be a part of Gator Nation and for the opportunity to lead this great program three years ago," Golden said in the same press release. "I am so appreciative of each and every player and staff member who have been critical to the success we've experienced here."
Golden signed with the Gators in 2022 after spending the previous three seasons as head coach for the San Francisco Dons. He led the Gators to the NCAA tournament in his second season with the team. Although Florida lost to Colorado in the round of 64, the team’s future was clearly bright.
One year later, Golden and the Florida Gators sit alone at the top of the college basketball world. In his third season as head coach, Golden led the team to a 36-4 regular season record, tying for the best in program history. Then, the Gators won the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2014 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The season culminated in a 65-63 win against Houston in the NCAA Championship. At 39 years old, Golden became the youngest coach to win a title since Jim Valvano, 37, won with North Carolina State in 1983.
It seems no one is happier about the extension than the fans and students.
Addison Alsobrook, a 20-year-old computer science sophomore, exclaimed his excitement for the future of Florida basketball.
“He knows what it means to coach the University of Florida and the importance of perennial success for our program,” Alsobrook said in a text. “Words can’t describe my excitement to continue watching UF hoops in the coming years.”
Golden and the Gators will look to make another deep run this coming season. Despite some roster turnover, Florida heads into the season with the 12th-best odds to win the championship.
The Gators look to repeat as national champions, a feat they accomplished in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04
Adrian Carmona is a third-year journalism major and the Summer 2025 baseball reporter. In his spare time, he enjoys completing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about Miami sports.
