Florida HC Todd Golden Headlines Gators' Dominance in SEC Awards

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The 2025-26 Florida Gators men's basketball team earned the program's first regular-season conference title in 12 seasons. As a result of its dominance on the court, Florida dominated the SEC's conference honors.

Head coach Todd Golden was named the SEC Coach of the Year, becoming just the fourth coach in program history to do so and first since 2017. Rueben Chinyelu was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Urban Klavzar took home Sixth-Man of the Year Honors.

Chinyelu also took home Second-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.

COACH. OF. THE. YEAR. pic.twitter.com/fyzennUZdA
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 9, 2026

Additionally, wing Thomas Haugh, a candidate for SEC Player of the Year, was named First-Team All-SEC, and forward Alex Condon was named Third-Team All-SEC.

Florida's four individual award winners lead the SEC, while its four members of the various All-SEC teams are tied for the most in the league.

Golden Continues to Etch Himself in Program Lore

After winning SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament titles a year ago, Golden has continued to solidify himself as one of the program's all-time great head coaches. The win over Mississippi State on March 3 gave Golden his 100th career win, making him the fastest coach in program history to do so, and an outright SEC regular-season title.

As it stands, Golden (101-39) has the sixth-most wins as a head coach in program history and the highest winning percentage (72.1 percent) among coaches who have coached with the program for multiple seasons.

Todd Golden continues to establish himself as one of Florida's best coaches of all time. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

With his naming as SEC Coach of the Year, Florida has now had four coaches win the award on seven different occasions. Mike White was the most-recent winner (2017), while Billy Donovan (2011, 2013, 2014) and Lon Kruger (1992, 1994) each won the award on multiple occasions.

Chinyelu's Dominance Recognized

Chinyelu's growth from last season to this season has been one of the program's greatest success stories of all time. The junior center is being recognized for his play.

He is Florida's first SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner since 2014 (Patric Young) and third all-time (2014 - Young, 2006 - Corey Brewer). He is also the program's first Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Young in 2014 and fourth winner on seven different occasions. Young took home the award from 2012-14, while Ray Shipman (2010) and Lee Humphrey (2006-07) each received nods.

Chinyelu is also the second player in SEC history to win both awards after Young.

Rueben Chinyelu is in the midst of a record-breaking season at Florida. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Now, Chinyelu will hope to lead Florida back to a national championship with his sights set on a program record. With 18 double-doubles this season, the junior is one away from breaking Bob Smyth's single-season double-double program record set 50 years ago. Currently averaging 11.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, he is also looking to be the program's first player to average a double-double in a single season since Smyth.

He recently set the program record for offensive rebounds in a single season.

Klavzar's Impact Off the Bench Rewarded

Florida had shot poorly from deep to begin the season, but with help from bench guard Urban Klavzar, the Gators have turned into consistent shooters from deep. Averaging 9.9 points while shooting over 40 percent from deep, the junior is Florida's first Sixth-Man of the Year since Canyon Barry in 2017.

Urban Klavzar helped Florida turn its 3-point woes around. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

He has hit a 3-pointer in Florida's last 21 games, including multiple makes in 19 games. Notable performances include a 19-point game in the win over Kentucky on Feb. 14, where he shot 7-for-13 from deep, and an 18-point outing in the win over LSU on Jan. 20, where he shot 6-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Florida's other winners include Doran Finney-Smith in 2014 and Chris Richard in 2007.

Haugh Snubbed?

One of the top players in all of college basketball, Haugh fell short of winning SEC Player of the Year to Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. Haugh currently leads Florida with 17.2 points per game, while averaging 6.1 rebounds.

He has recorded at least 20 points in three of his last four games, including a 20-point, nine-rebound and three-steal effort in the win at Kentucky on Saturday.

Thomas Haugh has helped Florida win an SEC regular-season title, SEC Tournament title and national championship over the last two seasons. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

"We're not worrying about it, but I could definitely make a case for him to win SEC Player of the Year, absolutely," Golden said last week. "I think if we're able to finish the way I hope we do, and we win the league outright, he's had an incredible statistical season leading us.

"Could Rueben (Chinyelu) being a great player and (Alex Condon) also being a great player cannibalize him a little bit? I don't know. I think all three of those guys deserve a ton of accolades, to be honest, but Tommy's profile statistically is pretty diverse and pretty efficient across the board. He deserves a lot of credit. My hope would be if we win the league outright, that the player of the year in the SEC came off our team. That would be my hope."

Acuff Jr., who also took home SEC Freshman of the Year, is averaging 22.2 points and 6.4 assists per game.