Gators HC Todd Golden Not Closing Door on Future NBA Opportunities

After being linked to the Golden State Warriors' head coaching job if it opened, Florida Gators men's basketball coach Todd Golden is not closing the door on potentially coaching in the NBA in the future.

Golden, who previously downplayed NBA rumors and who expressed his happiness in Gainesville, said during a recent appearance on the Field of 68 that coaching in the NBA is something he "could see down the road."

"Obviously, certainly flattering. Incredibly flattering," he said on his name being linked to other opportunities. "... It's a great honor... I'm never gonna close the door on the NBA. The NBA is an incredible honor. That's something that I could see down the road. But imminently, I'm really happy at Florida, and I'm really excited about what we have moving forward."

ICYMI: Todd Golden on his name coming up in potential NBA job openings 👀

"I'm never gonna close the door on the NBA. The NBA is an incredible honor. That's something that I could see down the road. But imminently, I'm really happy at Florida."

🎥: https://t.co/7cVkDDr3U1 pic.twitter.com/F163D6Ld46
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 20, 2026

Golden, entering his fifth season with the program after a national title and SEC Tournament title in 2025 and an SEC regular season title last season, had previously been linked to Golden State as the franchise pondered over its future with longtime head coach Steve Kerr, whose contract expired this season. Golden has ties to the franchise after coaching at the University of San Francisco, where he grew close to the Warriors' ownership.

"Golden is the coach that they're targeting, and that's in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him,” Yahoo Sports' Kevin O’Connor said in his initial report. “Golden was the head coach of the San Francisco Dons for three years before he went to Florida and won a national title there.

“They, they've been together. They've, they've had lunches together. Those guys know each other, and Golden is, is a very, very talented young head coach.”

Golden State, however, re-signed Kerr to a two-year contract, while Golden told local media last month that he "definitely plans on coaching the Gators." Athletic director Scott Stricklin also expressed confidence in March that Florida would successfully extend Golden's contract for the third consecutive season.

"Todd wants to be at the University of Florida," Stricklin 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."

During his appearance on the Field of 68, Golden also emphasized the hard work it took to build Florida into a national contender, as well as the young pieces on the roster, as reasons for staying.

"The great thing for me and my family and my staff is that we've been able to build Florida into a consistent power right now," he said. "I do believe we have the chance to be a top-five team again going into next season. We're back-to-back No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. It was hard work to get to this position.

"We're going to obviously lose a lot after this next season, but I'm really excited about a lot of the young guys that we were able to keep in our program. Guys like Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram. Really, really talented freshmen that we got back, and we're going to get them through this year, they're going to help us, and then they're going to be great players for us when guys like Tommy Haugh and Alex Condon are no longer in our program."

Golden's comments predated center Rueben Chinyelu's return to the program, which likely gives the Gators a preseason No. 1 ranking for the 2026-27 season.

Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!

Add us as a preferred source on Google