Gators announce first assistant coach hire under Todd Golden

Todd Golden makes his first hire as the head coach of the Florida Gators men’s basketball team.

New Florida men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] is beginning to fill out his staff at UF and [autotag]Kevin Hovde[/autotag] is the first assistant coach to be named in this new era of Gators basketball.

Hovde recently served as an assistant at Richmond. He coached the Spiders to an Atlantic 10 championship and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, but it was hard to say no to Golden after spending seven seasons with him.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Florida’s elite men’s basketball program and become a part of the University of Florida and Gator Nation,” Hovde said in the official release. “It was going to take a special opportunity for me to leave my alma mater, and this is that opportunity. I am incredibly thankful to be a part of this staff.”

Golden has been a fan of Hovde’s coaching chops since the two started coaching alongside each other at Columbia. After spending plenty of time together at various universities, it’s unsurprising to see Hovde be the first man to join Golden’s staff.

“He has one of the best offensive minds we have in the college game,” Golden said. “We’ve obviously had the opportunity to work alongside each other for several years at multiple stops, and I’m really glad we have the chance to add another chapter to our collaboration here at Florida.”

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