If these allegations are true, they would constitute the worst, the ugliest, the creepiest, the most shocking college sports scandal in state history.
Being a graduate of the University of Florida and the father of a daughter who also graduated from there, I got sick to my stomach when I read the allegations Friday.
In a Title IX complaint obtained by the school's Independent Florida Alligator newspaper, basketball coach Todd Golden is being accused by multiple women, including past and present UF students, of sexually harassing them, stalking them, cyberstalking them, sexually exploiting them and sending lewd photos of his genitalia to them.
Never in my decades of covering sports in this state have I ever heard of allegations against a college coach that are so appalling. I covered Urban Meyer's renegade UF program, I've covered many NCAA investigations, gambling probes and players being convicted of sexual assault, but I've never covered a marquee head coach at the state's flagship university accused of being a sexual deviant and predator.
If these allegations are true -- and Golden certainly deserves a chance to defend himself -- this could bring down the entire hierarchy of UF's program, starting with athletic director Scott Stricklin himself. These charges are so salacious and so volatile that it's difficult to figure out why Stricklin didn't suspend Golden immediately until UF could fully investigate and get to the bottom of this.
According to the student newspaper's report, UF received a formal Title IX complaint against Golden on Sept. 27. That was six weeks ago and yet Golden was still coaching the Gators as of Thursday night's victory over Jacksonville.
Why?
Why risk the reputation of one of the top public universities in the nation?
These allegations are so incredibly damning, why not get out ahead of them and take action before it makes national headlines?
Now, if the Gators suspend or fire Golden, it just looks like they're doing it because it became public; not because it was the right thing to do.
Stricklin was already dancing near the fire and balancing on a razor's edge with Gator fans and boosters who hold him accountable for his two football-coaching hires -- Dan Mullen and Billy Napier. Mullen was fired four years ago and many Gator fans and boosters think Napier should be fired, too. However, Stricklin sent an open letter to UF fans earlier this week telling them that Napier would be returning as head coach next season.
Who would have ever thought that Napier would now be the least of Stricklin's problems? You have to wonder how much more can go wrong in the athletic program before UF pulls the plug on Stricklin himself. After all, he's had other coaching hires that have turned scandalous as well because of how the coaches treated women.
Stricklin fired women's basketball coach Cam Newbauer in 2021 amid allegations he verbally, physically and mentally abused players and staff members. Less than a year later, Stricklin fired women's soccer coach Tony Amato amid an investigation into the coach's comments and behavior regarding players' eating habits and body shapes. Amato was fired without cause one year into a six-year contract and the Gators paid his $1.125 million contract buyout.
Golden was the one marquee coaching hire whom the Florida AD could brag about. He was hired three years ago to replace the embattled Mike White and Golden almost immediately became one of the hottest young basketball coaches in the business.
Golden is a rising star in the profession because he is young (39), super smart, charismatic, charming, good-looking, quotable and with a touch of cockiness that Gator fans and media love. He has enlivened UF's basketball program with a fast-paced, high-scoring style that propelled it back into the NCAA Tournament during his second season a year ago and elevated them into preseason Top 25 this year.
His career was in full flight, he just signed a $4 million-a-year contract extension and he seemingly had an idyllic life. He's married to his college sweetheart with two beautiful young children and, from the outside looking in, appeared to have everything a man could want.
It has to be a case of mistaken identity or some sort of cruel hoax, right?
No high-profile, multimillionaire college basketball coach would be stupid enough or sick enough to put themselves, their program and their family in this position, right?
Golden is accused in the Title IX complaint of making sexual advances on Instagram and asking for sexual favors. Taking photos of women walking or driving -- or photos of the women's cars in various locations -- and then sending those photos to the women. Showing up to locations where he knew the women would be. And, cringe, sending photos of his genitalia to the women.
They just make you shake your head and think to yourself that sometimes the brightest lives have the darkest shadows.