Florida AD Scott Stricklin responds to rumors linking Todd Golden to Kansas, North Carolina
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Florida’s quest for a second straight national championship came to a disappointing end on Sunday as it fell to Iowa 73-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators, one of the favorites to hoist the trophy in Indianapolis on April 6, now enter the offseason earlier than planned.
Will Todd Golden remain a part of the program next season, though? Not if Kansas and North Carolina fans have their way.
The caveat, of course, is that no decisions have been made regarding the current head coaches of those schools. Bill Self, who has dealt with health issues over the past several years, hasn’t committed to a 24th season on the Jayhawks’ sideline after a last-second loss to St. John’s in the second round. Meanwhile, Hubert Davis — after back-to-back one-and-dones for the Tar Heels — continues to wait to hear from UNC brass whether he’ll be back for a fifth season.
Regardless of what happens in Lawrence and Chapel Hill, Florida AD Scott Stricklin stated on Tuesday that Golden’s isn’t going anywhere.
“Todd wants to be at the University of Florida,” Stricklin told On3’s Zach Abolverdi. “I wish all those programs really good luck. Todd’s going to be here for a long time.”
After Florida won the championship in 2025, the university hammered out a $40.5 million contract extension for Golden, keeping him with the program through March 2031. That made him among the top 10 highest-paid coaches in college basketball.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
