Todd Golden coaching rumors: Florida coach shoots down reports linking him to Warriors job

Following a report that linked him to the not-yet-open Golden State Warriors job, Florida coach Todd Golden has cleared the air. He plans to be in Gainesville next season.

Golden met with reporters on Wednesday morning at a building on campus just outside the team’s basketball facilities, stating his intent. He was fairly authoritative when asked if he was “back for sure” by the Associated Press’ Mark Long.

“That’s an interesting question, Mark,” Golden said, pausing as the room full of reporters laughed, in a video shared by Field of 68. “I’m definitely planning on coaching the Gators.”

A pair of NBA insiders for Yahoo! Sports first suggested Golden could be a target for the Warriors in the event that Steve Kerr vacates the position. Kerr’s contract is up, and what Golden State will do moving forward remains unclear.

According to a report from Kevin O’Connor and Kelly Iko, the Warriors would target Golden if they were to move on from Kerr. The intimation was that things could move quickly, too.

“Here’s what I’ve heard, Kelly,” O’Connor said. “If Steve Kerr leaves, the Warriors will pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, according to my league sources. And within that ESPN story they mentioned they might look at the college ranks. Golden is the coach that they’re targeting, and that’s in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him.”

Prior to taking the Florida job, Todd Golden spent a few years out on the West coast. He’s already familiar with the territory.

“Golden was the head coach of the San Francisco Dons for three years before he went to Florida and won a national title there,” O’Connor pointed out. “They’ve been together. They’ve had lunches together; those guys know each other, and Golden is a very, very talented young head coach. So I think for the Warriors, Golden would be near the top of their list, if not at the top of their list.”

In any case, the Florida coach appears intent on staying. He has already won a national title with the program, doing so in the 2024-25 season.

He’s got the Gators poised to compete for another one next season with a roster that remains mostly intact from the 2025-26 season, a season in which Florida secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years. That was the first time in program history.

The big news came on Tuesday: Forward Thomas Haugh will return for his senior season. He joins fellow senior Alex Condon, a 2025-26 preseason All-American who will also return. Florida also returns virtually its entire backcourt, minus starting guard Xaivian Lee. Perhaps the final piece the Gators are waiting for word on is center Rueben Chinyelu, who is testing the NBA Draft waters while retaining his collegiate eligibility.