Florida head coach Todd Golden led the Gators to an NCAA title in just his third season with the program, and he collected some bonuses during the impressive run. Many people feel that the latest was a bit light.
Golden earned a $50,000 bonus when Florida defeated Houston in the NCAA Tournament national championship game on Monday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. That figure pales in comparison with the bonuses that are usually paid out to coaches who make deep postseason runs and win national titles.
Golden made $175,000 in total on-court bonuses this season, according to Steve Berkowitz of USA Today.
Florida wins NCAA men's basketball national championship with victory over Houston. This gives Gators coach Todd Golden a $50,000 bonus.
— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) April 8, 2025
Golden ends season with $175,000 in on-court bonuses.
Those figures pale in comparison to what Houston coach Kelvin Sampson earned in bonus money during the NCAA Tournament. Sampson earned $100,000 for each win in the second round and the Sweet 16. He then made $300,000 for reaching the Final Four and would have been paid an additional $500,000 if Houston won the title, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.
Golden is only 39, which is young by college basketball head coach standards. He signed a two-year extension with Florida in May that raised his annual salary from $3 million to $4 million. FOS reports that Golden also has $400,000 worth of academic incentives in his contract and a $500,000 retention bonus if he remains Florida’s coach beyond April 15.
Bill Self, John Calipari and Dan Hurley are the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. They each make around $8 million annually. After leading the Gators to a championship in short order, Golden is undoubtedly in line for another raise.
