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Reports: Florida targeting former Auburn assistant to be next head basketball coach

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•03/18/22•

Jonathan Wagner

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Ronald Martinez via Getty Images.

The Florida Gators are searching for a new head men’s basketball coach after Mike White departed to take the open Georgia Bulldogs job. Now, it appears that Florida is zeroing in on current San Francisco Dons head coach Todd Golden. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that things could move quickly with Golden and Florida in the coming days.

“Sources: Florida is targeting San Francisco coach Todd Golden to be the school’s next basketball coach,” Thamel tweeted. “Expect things to move quickly with San Francisco’s season over after losing in the NCAA tournament on Thursday night.”

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports also reported that Florida is focusing on Golden in its search for a new coach.

“Sources: Florida is zeroed in on San Francisco’s Todd Golden to be its next head basketball coach,” said Rothstein.

Golden has experience in the SEC, as he served as an assistant coach from Auburn from 2014 through 2016. He worked at Columbia as an assistant before then from 2012-2014. He then became an assistant at San Francisco from 2017-2019, before being promoted to head coach in 2019. Golden led San Francisco to the NCAA Tournament this season, where his team lost in the opening round to Murray State.

Golden would replace Mike White as Florida’s head coach

Following the season, White made a somewhat surprising decision to take the open Georgia job. White led Florida to a 19-13 this past season, and the Gators made four straight NCAA Tournaments in the years prior.

After leaving Florida for Georgia, White addressed the Gators and thanked the program for the past few years.

“I would like to thank at the University of Florida — President Kent Fuchs, Jeremy Foley who initially hired me and Scott Stricklin who’s been very, very supportive to my family and I,” said White on his former school. “It’s a new chapter for us – a new challenge, a unique challenge — one that I cannot express in words how excited I am to attack. Go Dawgs. Let’s go baby.”

If Florida does indeed hire Golden, he would be a solid choice to help the Gators return to the level that they expect to be at.