IN GATORLAND: FROM BAD TO WORSE
According to USA Today, University of Florida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden will continue to lead the Gators, despite being the subject of an ongoing Title IX investigation into his conduct.
The school issued a statement Sunday night confirming that there is no change in Golden’s status in the wake of a complaint alleging he engaged in sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking and cyberstalking involving multiple women. Golden was also court side as the 2-0 Gators hosted Grambling State on Monday night. A formal Title IX complaint was initiated Sept. 27, but was just revealed publicly on Friday when the university’s student publication, The Alligator, broke the story with details corroborated by two former students.
For what it’s worth, Golden maintains his innocence, and announced his intention to pursue defamation cases against his accusers. Arriving at the University of Florida in March 2022, the 39-year old former basketball player is currently at halfway through a six year, $18 million contract.
— Todd Golden (@CoachToddGolden) November 9, 2024
FOR THE MEMBERS
University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin is one of the most polarizing figures in college sports at this time, and that was largely because of drama related to the football program.
His arrival to Gainesville, follows the nearly forty years of success and stability provided by his immediate predecessor. Stricklin’s recent endorsement, and public reaffirmation of embattled football coach Billy Napier was meant to quiet the media hurricane battering the football program, as another difficult year comes to close. But, attention turning to the Gators basketball program turned out to be a powder keg disguised as a refuge from criticism.
LET’S BE HONEST
Frankly, Golden is one of Stricklin’s only successful hires on a campus that’s accustom to NCAA championships across multiple in sports. Thus far, the University of Florida is playing millions of dollars to fired former coaches for them not to coach, or win games for the Florida Gators. This during the NIL free-for-all era, where every single dollar counts.
Gator fans will fondly remember Stricklin’s athletic department at the center of one of the very first NIL disasters in college sports – namely, the Jaden Rashada fiasco, which up-ended Billy Napier’s rollout as new Gators football coach. Litigation still pending, by the way.
But, this drama so much worse.
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Frankly, there’s no logical, or moral reason that a coach being investigate for such gross allegations should be court side. Because, at this point, the conversation is no longer about basketball.
Incompetence, and insensitivity in the presence of adversity makes for a very bad combination. It’s also a very expensive combination, as evident by the long list of humiliation, blunders and buyouts that Gator fans have been subjected to during his eight year tenure.
If Mr. Stricklin has not yet been informed that he’s in danger, now would be the time for a wake-up call from the University President’s office.
THE CONVERSATION.