![Florida head coach Todd Golden greets fans before the NCAA March Madness opening round at JW Marriott in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. Several hundred people cheered Florida as they left to board the bus for to go to the arena. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_192,w_2653,h_1492/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kmh9yjsw7t6gekj0rn.jpg "Florida head coach Todd Golden greets fans before the NCAA March Madness opening round at JW Marriott in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. Several hundred people cheered Florida as they left to board the bus for to go to the arena. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Todd Golden just got a lot more leverage in his discussions with the Florida Gators for another contract extension.
Less than an hour ago, North Carolina announced that Hubert Davis would not return for a seventh season as the head coach of the Tar Heels. Golden is expected to be one of the top names on North Carolina's wish list after the 40-year-old coach led the Gators to a national championship in 2025 and another one-seed in the 2026 NCAA tournament.
NEW: North Carolina Head Coach Hot Board via @PeteNakos🔥
— On3 (@On3) March 25, 2026
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North Carolina lost to VCU in the first round of the tournament Thursday night and since then there has been speculation about whether Davis would continue in his current role. The Tar Heels job has been more of a family business over the past 60-plus years, with the past four coaches — Dean Smith, Matt Doherty, Roy Williams and Davis — all having history at the school as assistants, former players or both.
UNC's pursuit of Todd Golden just got serious
It's expected that the Tar Heels will look outside the Smith/Williams coaching tree and, if that's the case, Golden will be their top candidate. He has led the Gators to 63 wins in the past two seasons and three consecutive tournament appearances.
Golden signed a six-year, $40.5 million extension last year and the $6.75 million annual salary puts him among the highest-paid coaches in the sport. Florida has been working on another extension that would likely put Golden at or over the $7 million mark annually.
Florida shouldn't have any problem matching money. The Gators enjoy more annual revenue as a member of the SEC and have the resources to keep great coaches. But North Carolina is one of those jobs that might come open to someone outside the Smith coaching tree once in a career. If Golden decides that he wants a new challenge, there wouldn't be many better opportunities.
But he has already proved that he can win a championship at Florida and has quickly built a powerhouse program. It could simply come down to a question of whether he wants to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Golden isn't the only coach North Carolina is expected to pursue. Alabama's Nate Oats, Michigan's Dusty May and Arizona's Tommy Lloyd are all on the short list. But Golden is probably the top guy, and it's on the Gators administration to make sure he's in Gainesville for a long time.