Reports: Florida makes Todd Golden highest-paid Gators coach ever

Field Level Media|published: Fri 28th August, 17:17 2026

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden looks on against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida men's basketball coach Todd Golden has signed his third contract extension in three years, raising his average annual salary to $8.25 million and making him the highest-paid coach in school history, according to multiple reports on Friday.

The new deal, now six years at $49.5 million through the 2031-32 season, boosted Golden's yearly average by $2.25 million, per reports. Golden got a raise from $6 million to $7.5 million for this coming season. First-year Gators football coach Jon Sumrall, for comparison, is on a six-year, $44.7 million contract and will make $7.45 million this season.

According to reports, only Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self, UConn's Dan Hurley and Arkansas' John Calipari are paid more at the college level, while North Carolina's new head coach, Michael Malone, matches Golden at $7.5 million for this season.

Golden, 41, will get an annual boost of $300,000, reaching $9 million for the 2031-32 season. The contract includes numerous guarantees, incentives and fringe benefits.

If he were to leave for the NBA -- there was speculation this offseason -- Florida would be entitled to a $3 million buyout, which decreases to $2 million the following two seasons, per reports.

Leaving for a collegiate program would be costlier: $16 million until March 31, 2027, but decreasing sharply in the remaining years, per reports.

If Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin leaves the university, the buyout decreases by $5 million in each of the next two seasons and the NBA buyout drops to zero dollars for the remainder of the contract, the Gainesville Sun reported.

His last contract extension came after the Gators won the national championship in the 2024-25 season.

Golden is 103-41 (.715) overall and 50-22 in Southeastern Conference games (.694) while going 7-2 in three NCAA Tournament runs over four seasons with Florida. His head coaching record is 160-77 (.675), including three seasons at San Francisco (57-36).

The Gators went 36-4 (14-4 SEC) in the championship season and 27-8 last season (16-2 SEC), when they won the regular-season title before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Florida posted back-to-back NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds, doubling the previous total in program history.

--Field Level Media