UConn's Hurley Impressed with Golden's Rebuild

UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who has led the Huskies to national championships in the previous two seasons, sees similarities in his rebuild of the program and the job Todd Golden is currently doing with the Florida Gators.

Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, NC.-- UConn head coach Dan Hurley knows a thing or two about having success in the NCAA Tournament.

With back-to-back championships, a first since 2007, Hurley has been to the top of the mountain of college basketball, and now he sees a new climber making its ascent.

The Florida Gators, winners of the SEC Tournament and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, have quickly become a national contender in Todd Golden's third season leading the program. And now, the two programs will face each other in the Round of 32 on Sunday after the Gators dominated Norfolk State and UConn defeated Oklahoma.

With the matchup coming on Sunday, Hurley was asked about any similarities he sees between the Gators and his two national championship teams with the Huskies.

"I mean the bigs, it reminds me of kind of what we had with (Adama) Sanogo and (Donovan) Clingan and Samson Johnson these last couple years where they just keep trotting out big, skilled, tenacious two-way players that are all over the glass," Hurley said of Florida. "Then they've got the -- they've got a lot of depth on the perimeter, and they're old."

On the way to earning a No. 1 seed and the program's first SEC Tournament title in 11 years, the Gators have flexed its revamped front court and boosted depth with instant-impact starters in guard Alijah Martin and center Rueben Chinyelu out of the portal; developed sophomore forwards in Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh; depth pieces in guard Denzel Aberdeen, guard Urban Klavzar, forward Sam Alexis and forward/center Micah Handlogten; and veteran leaders in guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard.

While he knows a thing or two about winning championships, Hurley also knows a thing or two about rebuilding a program, something Golden is in the midst of with the Gators.

Taking over a UConn team that went 14-18 in 2017-18 (all 14 wins have since been erased due to NCAA violations), Hurley's continually improved each season, capped off by back-to-back 30-win seasons and two national championships.

His first during the 2022-23 season was preceded by a matchup with Golden's Gators in the now-third-year head coach's first season with Florida, a 75-54 win for the Huskies in Exactech Arena.

"We played this Florida team a couple years ago in Gainesville as Todd was just kind of just getting this thing going... They've got a lot of great pieces," Hurley said. "He's done a great job, and their roster construction is really impressive. And the coaching job."

Since then, Golden is on the cusp of finding his own similar success after leading Florida to its first 30-win season, SEC Tournament title and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 11 years. In Friday's win over Norfolk State, Golden won his first NCAA Tournament game in now six seasons as a collegiate head coach.

It was also the first tournament win for Florida since 2021.

"Very happy, and hopefully this is the first of many over the next few years," he said. "This team has been great for us all year and put us in a position where we could be a 1 seed and have a game like this where we're heavily favored and had a very good opportunity to win a ballgame."

No. 1 Florida and No. 8 UConn will tip-off in the Round of 32 on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. Television coverage can be found on CBS.

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