NCAA Basketball: Top head coaches under 40 Years old entering 2020-21

9. Todd Golden – San Francisco

The future is bright for Golden, who begins his second season as the head coach at San Francisco. After playing for Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s, he spent time as an assistant under predecessor Kyle Smith, working both with the Dons and at Columbia. Between those stints, he spent a few seasons helping Bruce Pearl rebuild Auburn on his staff, but he’s certainly transitioning well into the spotlight as a head coach.

One of the most calm and collected coaches in the nation, Golden has done well to continue Smith’s momentum with the Dons program. We only have one season to judge him on, but a 22-12 record and 5th place finish in a tough WAC is certainly a solid start. Golden was tasked to replace several players, including star Frankie Ferrari, and securing 22 wins this past season was certainly impressive.

It’s too early to consider Golden for more prominent positions, but he’s certainly on track to become a rising star in coaching circles. It’s rare to find a 35-year old coach with such a level-headed temperament, especially when he trained under Bruce Pearl in the SEC. There’s no reason to expect San Francisco to suddenly knock Gonzaga out of the way in the WCC, but perhaps he can lead these Dons to some postseason success in the near future.