NCAA Basketball: 5 best coaching hires from 2022 offseason

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Head coach Matt McMahon of the Murray State Racers reacts against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball Todd Golden San Francisco Dons (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

2. Todd Golden, Florida

Todd Golden managed to turn around a San Francisco squad that hasn’t seen basketball success in decades. Florida has been a great program much more recently, so he’ll be tasked with making the Gators a more consistent winner.

Golden is one of the young coaching stars of the game. He’s just 36 years old and only has three years of head coaching experience. He led the Dons to a 57-36 record in his three years in charge of the WCC program, including its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.

The Gators program isn’t in tatters. There were rumblings that it may be time for a change from Mike White, but it was him who left for Georgia – he wasn’t forced out the door. The Gators aren’t at their height from two decades ago, but the team was in the NCAA Tournament picture for much of the past campaign.

San Francisco developed a strong defense under Golden, both during his days as an assistant coach and a head coach. This past season, the program finished 21st in KenPom’s defensive rankings. Having a strong defense can go far in the SEC.

There’s also hope Golden could develop a new generation of stars in Gainesville. Jamaree Bouyea and Yauhen Massalski are among the All-WCC players he helped mold on the opposite end of the coast.

This was the first year Florida has missed the NCAA Tournament (when it has been held) since 2016. It’s possible they miss it again next year as Golden gets into gear, but he holds enough promise to be a potential long-term legacy solution for the school in due time.

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