Report: Gators, Golden Agree to Six-Year Extension

Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden will be one of college basketball's highest-paid coaches after winning a national championship.

Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden led the program to its third overall national championship in his third season leading the program. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- After bringing a national championship and SEC Tournament title back to Florida, Gators' head coach Todd Golden has agreed to a new deal with the program, according to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman.

Golden's new deal, his second extension in as many years, is a six-year extension that runs through March 31, 2031 that totals $40.5 million, UF announced, and will make him one of the highest paid coaches.

“My family and I are grateful to be a part of Gator Nation and for the opportunity to lead this great program three years ago,” Golden said in a press release. “As we’ve shown during our time in Gainesville, the University of Florida is an institution that has the resources, support, and people in place to compete and win national championships. I am so appreciative of each and every player and staff member who have been critical to the success we’ve experienced here. My family and I look forward to our future here at UF and to the continued success of our men’s basketball program.”

Golden had first mentioned a possible extension back near the middle of April at halftime of the Orange and Blue game, when his team was being celebrated for their historic season. 

“I feel like we're very close to putting something together that will keep the Goldens in Gainesville for quite a while,” Golden said at the time.

The deal is seen as a no-brainer as the up-and-coming head coach has continuously improved in each of his three years spent in Gainesville, Fla. 

Despite a rough beginning in year one — winning only 16 games — he pulled a complete180 in his second year with the Gators. He led the team to 24 wins, took the team back to the NCAA Tournament and made it all the way to the SEC Tournament final. 

Unfortunately for the Gators, they came up short in the SEC Tournament final to Auburn and were bounced in the first round of the NCAA tournament in heartbreaking fashion to Colorado. 

However, the taste of defeat only lasted so long for the Gators. 

This past season, the Gators finished 36-4 and ended their historic season with a national championship, the program’s first since 2007, and they won their first SEC Tournament title since 2014. 

There’s more to the 2024-25 Gators than just the hardware, though. They also put their name in the record books with some of their performances throughout the season. 

The Gators became the fifth team ever to beat the AP No. 1 team at home and away in the same season after taking down Tennessee and Auburn during conference play. It was also only the fifth time a team has beaten an AP No. 1 twice in one season.  

“Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men’s basketball back where it belongs,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game back in 2022, and he has validated that belief in a relatively short time and helped create memories of a lifetime for another generation of Gator fans.”

Florida will begin their 2025-26 campaign in Las Vegas, facing off against Arizona on Nov. 3.

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