****

Florida men's basketball head coach Todd Golden is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment and stalking, according to Florida's student newspaper, The Alligator. A formal Title IX complaint was filed against Golden on September 27, pointing to multiple incidents where he allegedly violated the university's gender equity policy.

The complaint accuses Golden of inappropriate behavior towards women, including Florida students, through social media and in person. Specifically, he is alleged to have made unsolicited sexual advances via Instagram, requested sexual favors, and sent explicit photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for university events. In addition, Golden reportedly stalked the women, taking photos of them in public spaces and sending the images to the women themselves, as well as showing up at locations where he knew they would be.

Two women have come forward with claims against Golden, with one stating she was stalked more than 10 times and received explicit images from him. These allegations have raised significant concerns, particularly given Golden's public image and his position at the university.

Golden, 39, who is in his third season with Florida, was brought in to replace Mike White after the 2021-22 season. His hiring came on the heels of another high-profile case involving the university's former women's basketball coach, Cameron Newbauer. Newbauer resigned in July 2021 amid accusations of repeated abusive behavior toward players, leading to a statement from the university about requested corrective actions which were not met.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin, who took responsibility for the culture within the women's basketball program during Newbauer's tenure, also hired Golden. On a different note, Stricklin recently confirmed the retention of football coach Billy Napier, despite the team's mixed performance.

Golden's tenure so far has seen fluctuating success. In his first season, the Gators ended with a 16-17 record, but showed improvement the following year, finishing 24-12 and participating in the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed. This season, they have started strong with a 2-0 record ahead of an upcoming game against Grambling.

Before his stint at Florida, Golden was the head coach at San Francisco, where he led the Dons to two winning seasons and an NCAA tournament appearance in his final year. Prior to coaching, he played collegiate basketball at Saint Mary's.

The ongoing investigation and its outcomes are likely to have significant implications for Golden's career and the university's athletic department.