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Todd Golden discusses why he has NBA buyout in his extended contract

Skip to content Todd Golden put Florida back at the top of the college basketball world as the Gators won their 3rd national championship and 1st since 2007.

That earned him a contract extension and a healthy pay raise. On May 6, Golden signed a 6-year, $40.5 million contract extension, keeping him with the Gators through 2031.

However, the contract includes a masive drop in buyout if Golden were to go to the NBA. For example, if he were to leave for the pros between April 15, 2026 and March 31, 2028, his buyout would be $2 million, as opposed to 8 figures if another college program were to hire him.

Golden explained the reason behind adding the provision.

“You gotta make sure that you give yourself a little bit of opportunity that way in terms of the college game,” Golden said. “I’m here at Florida for a long time. It’s everything I need, everything my family needs. I don’t necessarily anticipate the NBA being something that’s super enticing anytime soon. But again, like, just the optionality is something that’s important to us, but I’m a Gator for a long time.”

Florida knows what it’s like to have a coach flirt with the pros. Billy Donovan famously was hired by the Orlando Magic in 2007 before returning to Gainesville a week later. We’ll see if Golden makes the jump himself.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.