GAINESVILLE — Florida’s Todd Golden has cashed in on the Gators’ nationwide championship to turn out to be considered one of nation’s top-paid coaches, with a compensation bundle in the identical stratosphere as soccer coach Billy Napier.
Golden signed a 6-year, $40.5 million deal, a median wage of $6.75 million via 2031, UF introduced Tuesday. The deal, signed by Golden and athletic director Scott Stricklin Monday, alerts UF’s surging funding in a program led by one of many nation’s high younger coaches in a convention constructed on its soccer custom.
Golden, 39, would be the second-highest-paid coach within the SEC behind John Calipari, who earns $8 million yearly at Arkansas after he left Kentucky following the 2023-24 season.
Golden will earn $6 million in 2025-26, up from $3.6 million at present, however will obtain an annual enhance of $300,000 for every year of the deal. He additionally obtained a $500,000 signing bonus.
Apart from Calipari, simply Kansas’ Invoice Self ($8.8 million), UConn’s Dan Hurley ($7.75 million), Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($6.19 million) and UCLA’s Mick Cronin ($6.1 million) had been paid extra final season. All however Cronin have received a nationwide title, however none as early in his profession as Golden.
A local of Phoenix, Golden was on the New York Athletic Membership Tuesday accepting the Winged Foot Award recognizing the top coaches of the lads’s and ladies’s NCAA Division I basketball event champions.
UF’s 65-63 win April 7 in opposition to Houston made Golden the youngest coach to win a championship since Jimmy Valvano in 1983 at N.C. State. Golden is considered one of seven present coaches with a nationwide title. Hurley, at 52, is the youngest amongst them.
Golden’s compensation will peak at $7.5 million in 2030-31, finally coming near rivaling Napier, who signed a 7-year, $51.8-million deal in December 2021 — three months earlier than Golden arrived from the College of San Francisco to interchange Mike White.
Golden initially signed a six-year deal paying $3 million yearly. After he led Florida to the 2023 NCAA Event and a 24-11 report, UF awarded him a two-year contract extension with a $1 million increase.
Golden’s new deal will enhance his base wage from $840,000 to $2.74 million subsequent season. He’ll proceed to earn $1.8 million for TV/radio/PR, an annual $500,000 longevity bonus, $250,000 from Nike, $150,00 for supplemental gear paid by UF’s College Athletic Affiliation and a $60,000 expense account.
Golden’s journey allowance went from $40,000 to $70,000, the identical as Napier.
Golden could have incentives primarily based on his crew’s success: $100,000 for an SEC regular-season championship, $100,000 for an NCAA Event look, $50,000 for an SEC Event Championship and $50,000 for every NCAA Event win. This yr would have netted him $550,000.
If Golden had been to depart for the NBA, he would owe UF $3 million after subsequent season, $2 million in 2027 or 2028, $1 million in 2029 and nothing thereafter. If he had been to depart for an additional college, he would owe $16 million after the subsequent season, $11 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028, $3 million in 2029, $2 million in 2030 and $1 million in 2031.
If UF had been to terminate Golden with out trigger, he would owe the varsity 85% of the worth of the contract on the time.
One other extra vital pay bump was within the offing after the Gators’ nationwide title run on the heels of the varsity’s first SEC Event title since 2014.
Following a halftime celebration of the newly topped champions April 12 on the Orange and Blue soccer recreation, Golden mentioned a brand new deal was forthcoming.
“We’re very near placing one thing collectively that may maintain the Goldens in Gainesville for fairly some time,” he mentioned. “I believe within the subsequent week or two, we’ll get to the end line on that.”
Edgar Thompson may be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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