Todd Golden becomes highest-paid Gators coach in Florida history

Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel on Aug 28, 2026

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Todd Golden has signed his third contract extension in three years, making him the highest-paid Gators coach in school history.

Golden will now earn an average salary of $8.25 million annually, including $7.5 million this season — up from $6 million in 2025-26 — as part of a new six-year, $49.5 million deal through March 2032, according to Golden’s agent, Bret Just.

The deal adds a year to the six-year, $40.5 million deal he signed in May of 2025, a month after the Gators won the 2025 national championship. UF’s 65-63 defeat of Houston made Golden the youngest coach to win a championship since Jimmy Valvano in 1983 at N.C. State.

Golden’s compensation will now exceed that of football coach Jon Sumrall, who will earn $7.45 million this season. He signed a six-year deal worth $44.7 million after leaving Tulane for Gainesville in December.

Golden, 41, also becomes the second-highest paid basketball coach in the SEC, behind Hall of Famer John Calipari ($7.75 million) at Arkansas, and jumps Tennessee’s Rick Barnes ($6.2 million) and Alabama’s Nate Oats ($6.02 million). Ole Miss’ Chris Beard is due to earn $6 million in 2026-27.

Based on current salary figures from USA Today, Golden becomes the fourth-highest paid basketball coach in the nation, behind Kansas’ Bill Self ($8.85 million), UConn’s Dan Hurley ($8.025) and Calipari. North Carolina’s Michael Malone also will earn $7.5 million in his first season with the Tar Heels.

Golden’s pay will continue to grow. He will receive an annual increase of $300,000 for each year of the deal, reaching $9 million by the final year of the deal in 2031-32.

Golden’s new deal will increase his base salary from $2.74 million to $4.7 million this season. He will continue to earn $1.8 million for TV/radio/PR, an annual $500,000 longevity bonus paid March 31 each year, $250,000 from Nike, $150,00 for supplemental equipment paid by UF’s University Athletic Association and a $100,000 expense account.

Golden also will have access to 30 hours on the University Athletic Association plane, valued at $62,000.

A bonus of $100,000 is available if Florida wins the SEC regular-season championship — as it did last season — or $50,000 for winning the conference tournament, captured by the 2025 squad. An NCAA Tournament appearance would garner Golden an additional $100,000, with each tournament win worth $50,000.

Golden now aims to join Self and Hurley as a two-time national championship winner.

Expected to open the 2026-27 season as the nation’s preseason No. 1, Florida returns two starters from that championship team in power forward Alex Condon and center Rueben Chinyelu, along with star sixth man Thomas Haugh, then a sophomore who was a first-team All-SEC performer last season.

Shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the title team, is also expected back after spending the 2025-26 season at Kentucky. Aberdeen’s eligibility remains uncertain and is likely to force the fifth-year senior from Orlando to seek a temporary restraining order in a state court.

Starting point guard Boogie Fland and 2026 SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavzar also will return to a team featuring six of its eight primary rotation players and 11 overall from 2025-26.

The investment in a national championship run is significant, with Golden’s raise coming alongside a roster topping $25 million in NIL spending.

“It’s either championship or bust with this team,” Haugh recently said.

If the Gators achieve their goal after losing in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, 73-72, to Iowa in 2026, Golden could be due another salary bump and could draw interest from the NBA.

After leading the Gators to the SEC regular-season title, Golden was mentioned this April as a possible successor to Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr when he weighed his return before committing to a 13th season with the team.

UF will require a buyout of $3 million if Golden were to leave for the NBA, similar to his previous deal. The buyout drops to $2 million the following two seasons (2027-29) and $1 million in 2029-30. But if Golden leaves for another school, the cost would be much higher. He would have to pay UF $16 million if he were to leave after this season. The figure drops to $13 million in 2028, $5 million in 2029, $3 million in 2030, $2 million in 2031 and $1 million in the final year of the deal. But if Scott Stricklin is no longer UF’s athletic director, the buyout immediately drops to $5 million in the first two years.

Prior to the 2025 extension, Golden earned $3.6 million annually after he’d originally signed a six-year, $18 million contract upon his hiring from San Francisco in 2022, at the time placing him 12th among 14 SEC coaches.

After he led the 2023-24 Gators to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 and re-energizing the fan base, Golden signed a two-year contract extension with a $1 million raise.