Could Todd Golden Leave Florida for an NBA Job?
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- After staving off reported interest from other blue blood programs, the Florida Gators' attempts to extend head coach Todd Golden have experienced another twist.
Golden, fresh off his fourth season leading the program, will be targeted by the NBA's Golden State Warriors should current head coach Steve Kerr depart, according to Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor.
O'Connor, citing NBA sources, said Golden would be "near the top of their list, if not at the top of the list."
"Golden is the coach that they're targeting, and that's in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him," O'Connor said. "Golden was the head coach of the San Francisco Dons for three years before he went to Florida and won a national title there.
"They, they've been together. They've, they've had lunches together. Those guys know each other, and Golden is, is a very, very talented young head coach."
The report comes as Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin looks to extend Golden's contract for the third straight season while Golden State mulls over its future with Kerr. Kerr just wrapped up his 12th season coaching with the franchise and saw his contract expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Kerr recently addressed the uncertainty with his future.
"My plan is to take a little time, take a week or two, and eventually sit down and talk with Joe [Lacob] and Mike [Dunleavy]," Kerr said. "... Just see where they are, and I'll tell them where I am, and we'll talk about what's next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason, and we will come to a collaborative decision on what's next.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get. These jobs all have an expiration date."
Meanwhile, Stricklin has not hidden the fact that Florida's goal is to keep Golden as the head coach and admitted that other programs may have been interested in him. Namely, North Carolina, Kansas and Arizona were rumored programs interested in Golden depending on how the carousel ended.
"Todd wants to be at the University of Florida," Stricklin said. "I wish all those [other] programs really good luck. I'm sure they'll find a good coach out there, and I'm glad Todd's going be here for a long time."
North Carolina ultimately hired Michael Malone, while Arizona extended Tommy Lloyd after Lloyd was also a rumored candidate for the North Carolina job. Bill Self is staying at Kansas after rumors of a possible retirement.
Golden, meanwhile, has flipped the narrative on the Gators' program since taking over ahead of the 2022-23 season. Stagnant since Billy Donovan's departure, Golden has led Florida to a national title (2025), SEC Tournament title (2025) and SEC regular season title (2026) in his four seasons, during which he has accumulated a record of 103-41.
If Golden were to ultimately leave Florida for Golden State, the Warriors would have to pay a $2 million buyout. During a recent appearance on Barstool Live, Golden discussed how he handles outside interest for other jobs, saying that he "recalibrate and think about where you are and how things are going" each year, but that he and his family are happy at Florida.
"It is a great place to coach. Great place to recruit, too. For now, I am very happy, and I hope that I am at Florida for a very long time," Golden said.
An NBA team's potential interest in Golden is not surprising in the least bit, nor is it unusual to happen to a Gators' coach.
Orlando famously hired head coach Billy Donovan after the 2007 season before he ultimately returned to Florida. He eventually left the program to be Oklahoma City's head coach after the 2014-15 season.
Nonetheless, Florida's goal will, of course, continue to be extending Golden as the Gators continue to round out its roster for the 2026-27 season. A key group of players, including starters Boogie Fland and Alex Condon, have already announced plans to return, while the Gators have also received a commitment from former player Denzel Aberdeen in the transfer portal, pending a waiver from the NCAA for another year of eligibility.
Florida is also working to retain center Rueben Chinyelu, who recently announced plans to enter the NBA Draft while keeping his college eligibility, and forward Thomas Haugh, who has not announced his future plans.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:53 PM.