Florida basketball coach Todd Golden is shooting down the possibility of him leaving the Gators for an NBA job with the Golden State Warriors.
Golden’s name was linked to the Warriors on Monday, April 20 by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, who reported that if Steve Kerr decides to leave the NBA franchise after 13 seasons, the Warriors would pursue Golden. However, based on Golden’s response in a media availability on Wednesday, it appears that he has his eyes set on the sidelines in Gainesville and the SEC for the 2026-27 season.
“I’m definitely planning on coaching the Gators,” Golden said on Wednesday during a media availability.
More: Inside Todd Golden’s remarkable rise to top of college basketball
Kerr spoke at length about his future with the Warriors following the team’s loss in the NBA play-in tournament, including an embrace with Draymond Green and Steph Curry on the court, where he acknowledged it could be his final game as the Warriors’ coach.
O’Connor also mentioned that Golden’s relationship with the Lacob family — who are the majority owners of the Warriors — was a reason he was being linked to Golden State.
“If Steve Kerr leaves, the Warriors will pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, according to my league sources,” said O’Connor on his podcast on Monday. “Golden is the coach that they’re targeting, that’s in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him.
“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’ve been together, they’ve had lunches together, those guys know each other and Golden is a very, very talented young head coach. And so I think for the Warriors, Golden would be near the top of their list, if not at the top of the list.”
Should Golden change his stance and consider a job in the NBA this cycle, his buyout for an NBA job would be $2 million, according to his contract with Florida, which was obtained by the USA TODAY Sports network.
Golden, 40, has quickly risen to being one of the top college basketball coaches in the country after just four seasons at Florida. He’s returned the program to its national prominence, highlighted by its national championship run in 2025 that featured the No. 2 adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 6 adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.
Florida is 103-41 combined under Golden, who spent the first three years of his head coaching career in the West Coast Conference at San Francisco.
The Gators, who saw a first-weekend exit from the Men’s NCAA Tournament this year after earning a No. 1 seed, are expected to have one of the top rosters in the country next season. Thomas Haugh announced his return to the Gators on Tuesday and picked up Denzel Aberdeen in the transfer portal to go along with returnees Alex Condon and Boogie Fland.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida basketball coach Todd Golden shuts down NBA, Warriors rumors
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