Florida planning another Todd Golden contract extension: 'He's a priority'

Florida is planning another contract extension for head men’s basketball coach Todd Golden, athletics director Scott Stricklin said Tuesday. Golden has received extensions back-to-back offseasons in Gainesville.

Stricklin’s comments come as rumors swirl across college basketball about potential job openings. North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis’ future remains squarely in flux, as Inside Carolina has reported, and Kansas coach Bill Self said he’s weighing his thoughts on next season while considering his off-court health.

As a result, there could be teams interested in Golden, whose buyout drops to $11 million April 16. Stricklin said Tuesaday that Florida plans to make Golden a “priority” as it tries to make sure he stays put.

“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, via Gators Online. “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.”

As the coaching carousel gets going, Stricklin understands why teams would be interested in Golden, considering his work at both Florida and previously at San Francisco. That said, Stricklin made it clear he expects the coach to stay put for the foreseeable future.

“Todd wants to be at the University of Florida,” he said. “I wish all those [other] programs really good luck. I’m sure they’ll find a good coach out there, and I’m glad Todd’s going be here for a long time.”

Golden’s latest extension, signed in May 2025, came after he led Florida to its first national championship since the Billy Donovan-led teams went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. His current agreement runs six years and is worth $40.5 million through March 31, 2031.

With an average annual value of $6.75 million, Golden’s salary ranks among the highest in men’s college basketball. The figure sits behind only Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. All four of those coaches, like Golden, have also won national championships.

During his four years at Florida, Todd Golden has a 103-41 overall record, including a 50-22 mark in SEC play. The Gators went 27-8 overall this past season and won the conference with a 16-2 mark as they looked to repeat as national champions. However, their season came to an end this past weekend with a loss to Iowa in the Round of 32.