GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A month ago, Florida’s Todd Golden was left behind in the Coach of the Year discussion.
Now, maybe he should be considered the front-runner.
Golden became the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins, accomplishing the feat in 139 games and breaking the record set by Billy Donovan in 2001 (154). Golden joins John Calipari and Tubby Smith as the only coaches in the Southeastern Conference to accomplish the feat in four seasons.
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Golden hit the century mark in a 108-74 victory over Mississippi State on Tuesday night, giving the fifth-ranked Gators a straight 34-point win over then-No. 20 Arkansas and Calipari 111-77 three days ago.
Both lopsided wins were celebrated at home. Florida State handed out hats and T-shirts and cut down the nets after clinching at least the SEC title against the Razorbacks. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey presented the trophy to the team before their game against the Bulldogs. The next two hours were essentially a victory parade that ended with the players lifting Golden into the air after finishing 100th.
“It was unbelievable. They messed up my hair so much,” Golden, 40, said. “They’re very excited about this milestone, which means a lot to me, but it’s really more of a program milestone than anything else. We haven’t finished year four yet. We’ve reached 100 wins. We’re on the right track.”
The defending national champions have won 10 straight games by an average margin of 23 points, solidifying themselves as a contender to defend their title. Since losing to Auburn at home in late January, Golden’s team has beaten just about everyone, home or away, inside or out.
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It’s a testament to how much growth the Gators (24-6, 15-2) have experienced since starting the season 5-4 and falling outside the AP top 25.
Already trying to replace arguably the best backcourt in school history (Walter Clayton Jr., Aliyah Martin and Will Richard) and his two top assistants, Golden felt the need to change the team’s approach. No more skills required. No longer shoots from three-point range.
Golden implored his players to embrace “ugly basketball.” Practice it personally. Dominate paint. Break through, pass, dunk. Battle your opponents on both ends of the court. It has become the team’s calling card and has delivered impressive results.
“We changed our positioning and became very defensive, making stops on defense and running the ball,” center Micah Handloten said. “We thought doing that might wear down the team and I think we just found our identity and started playing well together.”
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Point guard Xaivian Lee is a ball-handling force who will stay behind screens and continue to drive to the rim. Alex Condon is one of the best big men in the country, a point forward who is equally capable of beating teams in the paint or passing the ball. Rueben Chinyelu, coming off a bit of a slump, recorded his 18th double-double against the Bulldogs, tying the school record set by Bob Smyth in 1976. Rueben Chinyelu had 10 games with 16 or more rebounds.
Florida’s ability to play inside, move the ball and stretch the defense allows leading scorer Thomas Haugh to thrive as an edge scorer, while sixth man Urban Klavzar is able to get open looks from beyond the arc on multiple occasions.
“It probably took me longer than expected to figure out what our best way to play was,” Golden said. “We have a lot of talented guys trying to get to know each other, who are alphas elsewhere, and trying to figure out the shooting diet: who should finish the ball, who should shoot the three, who shouldn’t shoot the three.
“It just takes a while, especially when you have some new pieces and returners playing new roles.”
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Add in the constant goal of becoming a national champion every game and getting the best out of everyone, and Golden may be worthy of consideration for league and national honors.
“His coaching flexibility and the job he’s done with this team is absolutely incredible,” ESPN analyst and former coach Seth Greenberg said. “Going from three NBA perimeter players to three potentially NBA frontcourt players, you have to have coaching flexibility.
“The essence of coaching is letting your players play to their strengths. He’s outstanding. His charisma permeates his team. He empowers them and gives them confidence and belief. A big part of coaching is eliminating self-doubt and defining who you are and how you win. That’s exactly what he’s been able to do.”
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