Florida coach Todd Golden facing troubling allegations
Jan 27, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden looks on against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Florida Gators basketball coach Todd Golden has been accused of sexual harassment and stalking by multiple women.
In allegations reported by Jack Meyer and Max Tucker of The Alligator, Golden is accused of stalking and harassing multiple Florida students over the course of more than a year. Golden is accused of taking photos of women walking and sending the photos to the subject, as well as showing up to locations where he knew the women would be. One of his alleged tactics was to use Instagram to like photos and send direct messages to women, only to un-like the photo once the DM was read in order to dodge suspicion.
One former Florida student said Golden stalked her more than ten times, including once when she posted her location on Instagram. She also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitals while the basketball team was traveling on the road.
Florida began looking into Golden’s behavior in August. In September, the school received a formal Title IX complaint regarding Golden. Despite this, Golden has continued his coaching duties, and was on the sideline for the first two games of the season.
Golden became Florida’s basketball coach in 2022, having been hired from San Francisco. He led the team to a 24-12 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
