Florida men's basketball head coach Todd Golden addressed the rumors linking him to the Golden State Warriors during his media availability on Wednesday.
"I'm definitely planning on coaching the Gators," Golden said.
The rumors took life on Monday when Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports wrote about Golden State's options should Steve Kerr — who is at the end of his contract — leave the Warriors.
"If Steve Kerr leaves, the Warriors will pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, according to my league sources," O'Connor said.
The connection makes sense. Golden made his name as a college coach at the University of San Francisco, coaching the Dons to a 57-36 record and NCAA tournament experience over three seasons. War Memorial Gym, the home of the Dons, and the Chase Center (Warriors) are just five miles away from each other. Golden also has a relationship with the Lacob family, which holds a majority ownership of Golden State.
Connections don't guarantee anything, however. Golden is a rising, young star among the college coaching ranks with plenty of time to go pro in his career. Right now, the situation at Florida is better than Golden State: the Warriors' core of Steph Curry and Draymond Green is aging, and while a reunion with Will Richard is a plus, it's not nearly enough to pull Golden away from perennial national championship contention with the Gators.
With Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon returning, Golden has little reason to move on from the Orange and Blue. There's potential to be the preseason No. 1 team, and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament is likely. Should Florida get Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu back, Florida will return all three members of what most experts considered the best starting frontcourt in the country.
Boogie Fland is also set to return, and the Gators are looking forward to a reunion with Denzel Aberdeen, who spent last year with Kentucky and is seeking a waiver for a fifth year of eligibility. Urban Klavzar, Isaiah Brown and CJ Ingram are also staying put, giving Florida three key pieces of its bench back. The only significant loss is Micah Handlogten, who is seeking a fifth-year waiver while entering the transfer portal.
That kind of roster retention doesn't happen if Golden is thinking about leaving. Could the Warriors still pursue him? Definitely, and they are likely to. Golden State has the resources to make it hard for Golden to say no.
As any good businessman would, Golden's quote of "planning on coaching the Gators" leaves the door open for that can't-say-no offer. Still, he's all but shot down the idea of leaving Florida ahead of this year.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Todd Golden addresses NBA coaching rumors, Florida basketball plans