Florida releases statement on basketball coach Todd Golden sexual harassment, stalking accusations

Florida has released a statement after news broke on Friday that head basketball coach Todd Golden was accused of sexual harassment and stalking.

A report from Florida’s student newspaper, The Alligator, shared that Golden has been accused by an unknown number of women of sexual harassment and stalking.

The allegations include sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking aimed at Florida students for over a year, according to a formal Title IX complaint obtained by The Alligator.

Attributable to a University Athletic Association spokesperson via Andy Staples, the statement read:

“Todd Golden’s status as UF men’s basketball coach has not changed. He will be coaching the game Monday night.”

Florida did not originally release a statement to The Alligator, citing federal law that prevents them from confirm or commenting on Title IX processes.

The Alligator also reported on the purported nature of the alleged sexual harassment outlined in the complaint, which reportedly included “unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF and various occasions of stalking.”

Todd Golden is also alleged to have gone to various locations he knew the women would be, as well as taking pictures of them or their vehicles and sending them to them, according to the report. He is also alleged to have used Instagram to try and engage with the women, liking a post and quickly unliking it, but still causing a notification, according to the report.

Florida is 2-0 through the first week of the 2024-25 season.

Todd Golden, 39, was hired as the Florida men’s basketball head coach ahead of the 2022 season, coming over after a successful stint leading the San Francisco men’s basketball program.

Golden had worked as an assistant at San Francisco prior to serving as a head coach there. He also served as an assistant coach at Columbia and Auburn early in his career.

Golden signed a contract extension with Florida earlier in 2024, according to the Associated Press. That extension tacked two years onto the length of his contract, running it through the end of the 2029-30 season and raising his annual compensation by $1 million. Golden reportedly earns $4 million annually under the terms of the extension.

His initial contract with Florida was reportedly for six years and $18 million. Inked in 2022, the initial terms of the contract ran through the 2027-28 season.

Golden is 42-29 as head coach for Florida has a 99-65 record overall as a head coach. He is 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament, making one appearance each at San Francisco and Florida.

He played college basketball for St. Mary’s from 2004-08 and had a brief professional career overseas before getting into college coaching in 2012.