Todd Golden high in ESPN Coach of the Year rankings
His team is 17-2, ranked fifth in the AP Top 25 and is No. 6 in the NCAA Net Rankings. And because of all this, Florida Gators basketball coach Todd Golden is getting some national recognition.
Friday, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf revealed their midseason Coach of the Year rankings. Golden, now in his third season in Gainesville, checks in at No. 4 in their list.
Borezello wrote the following: “On the court, Golden and the Gators are a national championship contender. They opened the season with 13 straight wins, then pummeled a then-undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee by 30 points in early January. They were ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP poll, but Golden supplemented five key returnees with Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin.” Additionally, he mentioned Golden’s off-the-court situation, but we’ll spare you of that since it’s not a new development.
No. 1 in these rankings? That would be Golden’s former boss, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. Wrote Medcalf of him: “In their first two-plus games without Johni Broome — the Wooden Award favorite before he suffered an ankle injury that has sidelined him indefinitely — the Auburn Tigers had an opportunity to collapse. Instead, they played top-35 defense (per barttorvik.com), made 41% of their 3-point attempts and won all three games, including a 22-point victory over Mississippi State.”
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The Gators face Pearl’s No. 1-ranked team Feb. 8 on the road.
Also ahead of Golden in these rankings: Duke’s Jon Scheyer at No. 2 and Darian DeVries of West Virginia at No. 3. The Blue Devils are No. 2 in the AP Top 25; the Mountaineers are No. 23. Golden and Pearl are joined by four other SEC coaches on this list, which you can find HERE.
Florida faces Georgia (14-5 overall, 2-4 in the SEC) on Saturday in Gainesville. The Gators have won 11 straight in the series and hold an all-time lead of 124-100 over the Bulldogs.
Florida Gators basketball related content
–Florida Gators basketball NCAA Tournament projections: Jan. 24 edition
–Ceiling-Floor: Best and worst scenarios for the Florida Gators’ finish
