UNC eyes Todd Golden after NCAA exit. But Florida's commitment and program perks might prove a golden ticket to stay.
Florida head coach Todd Golden has some time for extra reflection after his No. 1 seed Gators were bounced from the NCAA Tournament with a 73-72 loss to No. 9 seed Iowa on Sunday.
On Tuesday, North Carolina parted ways with Hubert Davis. (With Davis getting his $5.3 million buyout, it feels more like a firing.)
Golden appears to be near the top of UNC's wish list this spring. Golden won the national championship with UF in 2025, and would be a home run hire for a program that needs a facelift.
North Carolina is a more prestigious job for men's basketball than Florida. The Gators basketball team will always be second fiddle to the football program.
At UNC, Golden would be the top dog.
USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer argued that Golden would be smart to stay at Florida, believing that a good roster at a football school can be better than high expectations at a basketball blue blood.
"Golden and (Alabama head coach Nate) Oats have it quite good right where they’re at," Toppmeyer wrote. "They can have all of the success of a blue-blood, without about half of the pressure.
"It's the same reason why Curt Cignetti would've been a fool to leave Indiana for Penn State. The football programs act as a heat shield for coaches at Alabama and Florida."
Based on Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin's recent message, Toppmeyer appears correct.
"When we have talented, successful coaches, we're going to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated at the University of Florida," Stricklin said.
"We've given Todd new contracts each of the last two years. He's a priority for the University of Florida, and we're going to treat him as such."
Golden lost in the second round and is expected to earn a contract extension for the third offseason in a row.
Davis was asked to leave after losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament two seasons in a row.
But can UF come close to offering Golden the type of money UNC can?
That could be what tips the scales in the end.