Tag: Todd Golden

Gators Wire staff reactions to Todd Golden’s hire

Take a look at how we’re reacting to the Todd Golden hire here at Gators Wire.

Florida basketball announced its successor to Mike White at the head coach position, San Fransisco Dons skipper Todd Golden, on Friday to a fanbase with mixed reactions to the decision. With the change now set into stone, the Gators look to move into the next era of men’s hoops in Gainesville under their new young coach.

Golden arrives at UF with a short résumé that does include some experience with the Auburn Tigers under Bruce Pearl, but overall, a dearth of head coaching work at a prominent school. What he does bring is a fresh approach to analytics as well as more of an NBA-style of gameplay.

We assembled the Gators Wire staff for a roundtable discussion of our respective takes on the Golden hire. Read below what each of us thought.

Best Twitter reactions to Florida’s Todd Golden hire

Here are the best Twitter reactions to Florida hiring Todd Golden for its new men’s basketball coach.

Florida hired yet another coach with a color in his last name Friday when it selected former San Francisco head coach Todd Golden to replace former coach Mike White. Golden leaves the Dons after he led them to the NCAA Tournament with a 24-10 record but fell in overtime during the opening round to Murray State, 92-87. Just like with White’s stunning announcement to leave for Georgia, there were plenty of great Twitter reactions to the news.

Overall, the reactions discovered were mixed. Some Florida fans were frustrated athletic director Scott Stricklin went with another up-and-coming mid-major coach over a more established name while others were willing to give him a chance.

In his last three seasons at the helm, San Francisco compiled a meh 57-36 record while leading the program to its first March Madness berth since 1998 this season. However, the Dons played in the West Coast Conference with the likes of constant NCAA fixtures Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. The Alligator’s Caleb Wiegandt found a solid nugget that 13 of his 36 losses came to WCC powerhouses Bulldogs and Gaels.

Before San Francisco, he spent time as an assistant from 2014-2016 under coach Bruce Pearl.

Now here are the best Twitter reactions to Golden’s hire that Gators Wire found.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl weighs in on Florida’s hire

Bruce Pearl speaks highly of his former assistant, who is now taking the Florida job.

There is a new era of Florida Gators basketball being ushered in after Mike White left to take the Georgia Bulldogs job. Former Auburn assistant coach Todd Golden was officially announced as the new head coach of the Gators on Friday.

Current head coach Bruce Pearl was asked about Golden taking the job at Florida after three seasons at San Francisco University. The Dons lost their first-round matchup with Murray State and now Golden heads to Gainesville.

“I’d love to answer that,” Pearl said.  “I don’t know if I should unless it’s been announced… I love Todd. I love him like a son.”

Golden spent the 2014-16 seasons on the Plains as an assistant serving under Pearl in his first two seasons with Auburn. In 2016 Golden left to take an assistant role with San Francisco and reunited with his former boss at Columbia, Kyle Smith. When Smith departed for the Washington State job, Golden was promoted to head coach.

Next season, Pearl will have to face off with his former Director of Basketball Operations and assistant coach Todd Golden. The Gators are currently preparing for their next matchup in the NIT, while the Tigers take on the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

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Florida officially announces new men’s basketball head coach

Florida’s got its newest men’s basketball head coach!

University of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin officially announced the new head coach of the men’s basketball team on Friday, anointing San Fransisco Dons’ bench general Todd Golden as the program’s latest leader. He will become the 22nd to hold the position for the Orange and Blue since 1915.

The 36-year-old basketball brain replaces Mike White, who was just under a couple of years older when he took over the helm in Gainesville, possibly signaling a trend for Stricklin. Golden’s background includes the position of director of basketball operations at both Columbia University and Auburn for one year before taking over as assistant basketball coach at the same schools the following year.

After his two two-year stints, he found a permanent position out west as the head coach of the San Fransisco Dons over the past three seasons, earning USF its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022. Golden put together a 57-36 record over that trio of campaigns, going 22-12 in his debut while struggling at 11-14 during the COVID season. However, he bounced back with a 24-10 record this year to earn that ticket to the Big Dance.

Golden is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and started as a walk-on with the Saint Mary’s Gaels during his matriculation from 2004 to 2008, earning a scholarship and eventually being named team captain. He ranked second in the nation his senior season in assist-to-turnover ratio and finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader in free-throw percentage with a .832 mark.

He also played professionally for two seasons in Israel’s top division for Maccabi Haifa and competed in the 2009 Maccabiah Games with the USA Open Team before embarking on his coaching career.

Golden is known for his heavy reliance on analytics, with a reputation as an offensive guru, but also an ability to get things done on the defensive end as well. His mild-mannered profile will fit well with what Stricklin seems to be targeting lately, and his modern approach should be a breath of fresh air in the O’Connell Center in the coming seasons.

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Florida hires rising-star Todd Golden less than 24 hours after San Francisco’s NCAA tournament loss

One of the hottest names on the coaching market is headed to the SEC

San Francisco vs. Murray State was the perfect cap to an amazing opening day of the 2022 NCAA Tournament (First Four games notwithstanding). The two offenses lit the scoreboard on fire throughout the end of the game and overtime as each defense failed to find answers. Ultimately, the Racers had just enough in the tank to win the game.

Less than 24 hours later, USF is taking another L. Perhaps, one that cuts a little bit deeper.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the Dons are losing head coach Todd Golden to the University of Florida on a six-year deal. The deal would bring Golden back to the SEC, where he served as an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Auburn before taking the head coaching position at San Francisco.

At USF, it took the 36-year-old just three seasons to prove he’s one of the better coaches in the sport. Golden will leave the program after producing a 57-36 record over three seasons and bringing the Dons to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Florida will hope for a similar turnaround. The Gators missed the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time since 2016 and for just the second time dating back to 2009. Things looked even bleaker for the Gators after head coach Mike White bolted for rival Georgia shortly after UF’s season ended.

It didn’t take long at all for Florida to find a replacement. In doing so, the Gators landed one of college basketball’s rising stars on the sidelines.

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REPORT: UF to announce new men’s basketball head coach Friday afternoon

Not really sure this is the news Gators fans wanted to hear, but it looks like MBK might have its new head coach.

It looks like Scott Stricklin wasted no time in finding a replacement for Mike White on the sidelines for the men’s basketball team. Reports began to flow on Twitter Friday afternoon that the Gators were targeting San Fransisco Dons head coach Todd Golden to take over the head coaching duties in Gainesville, beginning with ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Gainesville Sun beat reporter Graham Hall confirmed that UF had significant interest in the 36-year-old coach and later revealed that Florida is expected to announce Golden as the new sheriff in town for the men’s team at 5 p.m. EDT. It was noted that the young up-and-comer takes a very analytical approach to the game and that he has previous experience in the Southeastern Conference with the Auburn Tigers, where he spent a year as a director of basketball operations and assistant head coach, respectively, before moving out west.

Golden has spent three years with the Dons, amassing a 57-36 record over three seasons including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year after a 24-10 campaign. Seeded No. 10 in the Big Dance, USF fell to the No. 7 Murray State Racers in the first round, 92-87, ending its brief appearance in the tourney.

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