Todd Golden’s Special Traits That Made Florida Gators AD Stick With Him
The Florida Gators are headed to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four with a lot believing that they could come out as national champions in March Madness. But, things were not always this way for the SEC squad. Coach Todd Golden struggled in the past years but athletic director Scott Stricklin saw something in him.
Look, Florida finished their 2023-24 season with a rough first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament against the Colorado Buffaloes. Coach Todd Golden only managed to get his team to 24 wins which meant that they were a seventh seed. Now, things have taken quite a turn.
What made Scott Stricklin stick with the Florida head honcho? There were a few traits and he unveiled them in his latest statement, via Kevin Brockway of The Gainesville Sun.
“It wasn’t a three-year decision. It was a long-term decision. I felt like Todd, because of his intellect, because of his relational abilities, the way he saw the game analytically, that he was going to be successful for a long, long time,” the Florida athletic director said.
Florida’s turnaround was quite impressive . Coach Golden developed Walter Clayton Jr., Alex Condon, and the rest of the squad well. It paid dividends throughout their SEC campaign as they finished with a conference-best 34 wins.
Their next challenge is the top-seeded Auburn Tigers with a National Player of the Year candidate, Johni Broome, and seasoned head coach, Bruce Pearl. Will they escape March Madness as the kings of the dance because of Coach Golden’s traits?
