Florida head coach Todd Golden made his intentions clear following Dusty May’s decision to leave Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks. While May’s move raised speculation around other college coaches leaving for the NBA, Golden says he is happy exactly where he is.
Speaking with On3’s Joe Tipton, Golden addressed May’s decision and explained why he believes staying in college remains the right move for him.
Golden admitted he was not surprised to see May receive interest from the NBA after a successful career at Florida Atlantic and Michigan.
“I don’t know if I was surprised,” Golden said. “I had figured that Dusty was going to be in the mix for some of the NBA jobs because of the great job that he did both at FAU and obviously winning a national championship at Michigan within two years.”
“For me and my staff, we’re in a really good spot at Florida,” Golden said. “We’re supported really well. Our administration has given us the opportunity to be successful. We’ve built the right culture. We were able to keep guys in our program for an extended period of time, so we’ve got a good thing going.”
There were rumors linking Golden to the Golden State Warriors before they extended coach Steve Kerr’s contract. The Gators coach has previously said it will be an honor to coach in the NBA and that he will “never close the door” on the league. However, Golden seems content where he is for now, as he said in his On3 interview:
“I’m going to enjoy being at Florida for a while.”
What Does Future Hold For Todd Golden
Rumors linking Golden to the NBA already existed and were strengthened after May’s departure from Michigan, but his latest remarks just shut down that possibility.
Golden has a 103-41 record with the Gators, leading the program to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2025 national championship. This season, Florida has a strong lineup returning, which includes Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Rueben Chinyelu, which positions the team among the favorites entering the 2026-27 season.
With the way the team is shaping up, Florida appears to be in a strong position to compete for another national championship.
Overall, Golden has no interest in following May’s path anytime soon. While he praised the coach’s decision to join with Dallas and called it a great fit, he made it clear that Florida remains home as he looks to build on the program’s recent success rather than pursue another opportunity.
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