Florida’s basketball vacancy opened and closed within a week, a fast-break search that touched several candidates before Friday’s hiring of Todd Golden from the University of San Francisco.
Though not a household name among casual fans, Golden’s profile was ascending even before the Dons recently ended a 23-year NCAA Tournament drought.
“This guy is going to be a star,” said an industry source familiar with the search. “In five years, everybody’s going to know who Todd Golden is.”
Set to turn 37 in July, Golden compiled a 57-36 record over three years at San Francisco. This season’s team finished 24-10, the program’s most wins since 1982, earned a 10th seed and lost to Murray State 92-87 in overtime Thursday night.
Golden flew back to the West Coast with the Dons on Friday before the announcement became official.
Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin described Golden as “an innovative, relationship-oriented coach.” In the five days since Mike White ended his seven-year tenure by resigning to become coach at Georgia, Florida identified and spoke with several candidates about the job. With six of 14 SEC head-coaching jobs open this cycle, a source told
The Athletic that multiple candidates Stricklin considered likely will be coaching within the conference next season.
“Todd’s a sharp dude,” one SEC assistant told
The Athletic. “He’ll do awesome down there at Florida.”
His teams at San Francisco ranged from 42nd to 100th in offensive efficiency
As an assistant for Columbia, Golden was sought after by Eric Musselman at Nevada and eventually hired by Bruce Pearl at Auburn. Golden spent one season as the Tigers’ director of basketball operations and another as an on-the-floor assistant.
Washington State head coach
Kyle Smith was an assistant who recruited Golden to Saint Mary’s as a preferred walk-on in 2003 and saw him develop into a 40 percent 3-point shooter and team captain. Smith later gave Golden his coaching start at Columbia.
“I told Bruce Pearl when he hired Todd in 2014, ‘Put him on the road now. Don’t goof around with it, because he’s big-time good,’” Smith said. “He’s just super-talented, a sharp guy and very charismatic.”
Golden is a deep believer in analytics — and not merely pertaining to shot selection. He has adopted the NBA model where Stricklin said “everything in the league is analytics-driven — practice, games, scouting reports, drafts.” An NBA advisor who expressed surprise over the college game being slow to embrace analytics projects that the shift is coming.
“Todd has a special future, with his intellect and the way he commits to a data-driven approach in making decisions,” the source said. “Nate Oates at Alabama is probably the one guy in the SEC who has gone all-in there.”
The tenants of Golden’s philosophy is mining analytics to “find incremental advantages against our opponents, whether it’s in-game or macro level.” That process includes:
- Not auto-benching players with two fouls in the first half, because first-half minutes are just as valuable as second-half minutes.
- Open 3s are a priority, but uncontested midrange jumpers for some players are preferable to step-back contested 3s.
- Stressing practice data with players to chart their scoring strengths and development.
- Tracking deflections and defensive rotation errors.
- Intentional fouling in advantageous one-and-one situations.
- Crediting “virtual” assists when ballhandlers made the proper pass regardless of whether the resulting shot went in.
- Using data to chart player value on the AAU circuit
“The analytics part certainly is appealing,” Smith said, “but 90 percent of coaching is relationship-driven and Todd’s got the whole package. He’s a connector.”
Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, prepping for a second-round NCAA Tournament game in Portland, called Golden’s move “a great opportunity.” Bennett led the Gaels when Golden was an 82-game starter.
“He’s earned it,” Bennett said. “He’s had a tremendous year this year, got in the NCAA Tournament and finished No. 22 overall in the NET. That’s ridiculous how hard that is to do. He’s able to capitalize on that and go to what a great program, the University of Florida.”
Since Billy Donovan departed for the NBA in 2015, the Gators qualified for four out of six NCAA Tournaments. White’s record of 142-88 included an Elite Eight berth in 2017 and three second-round losses. Though Florida never finished below .500 in the SEC under White, his last four teams didn’t contend for conference titles.
“Just like with Billy Donovan, there’s some NBA potential for Todd down the line as well,” a source said. “The Warriors have been to his practices. The Lakers know about him, too. He has a Steve Kerr vibe to him.”
florida.rivals.com
