Four Years Later, Todd Golden's Florida Gamble Looks Like the Steal of the 2022 Coaching Carousel

Remember when everyone was grading coaching hires before the coaches even stepped foot on the sideline? Yeah, we don't do that anymore. Matt Norlander is back with his 10th annual "Grade the Coaches Four Years Later" exercise, and the results are in from the 2022 hiring cycle. Some schools nailed it. Others, well, not so much.

Golden and Florida: The Championship Haul That Nobody Expected

Todd Golden at Florida is the story of the cycle. When Scott Stricklin brought him in, the Gators needed a spark. Four years later, Golden has a national championship, a 103-41 overall record (.715 winning percentage), and a 7-2 NCAA Tournament record. That's elite stuff.

Florida is back where it belongs: a top-10 program in the country. Golden has the school sitting in that space it occupied for years during Billy Donovan's run. The dude is so good that he's already in his third contract negotiation with Stricklin. He's not going anywhere.

Why not an A instead of an A-minus? Two reasons. First, his first season was rough at 16-17, so he hasn't made the tournament every single year. Second, Norlander grades all four years equally, so that early stumble counts. Still, this is as close to a home run as it gets in the coaching carousel.

Missouri's Dennis Gates: The Wild Ride Nobody Saw Coming

Dennis Gates at Missouri is the cautionary tale. His overall record sits at 75-59 (.560) with a brutal 1-3 NCAA Tournament mark and an average KenPom finish of 69th. Desireé Reed-Francois hired him, and the Tigers have had three solid seasons and one absolute disaster.

That 2023-24 season? Eight wins, 24 losses. Zero SEC wins. A total bottom-out in his sophomore year that could have ended his tenure before it started. But Gates bounced back. He's made the tournament in three of his four seasons: a No. 7 seed in 2022, No. 6 in 2025, and No. 10 in 2026. In those tournament years, Missouri was above .500 in conference play and twice had a top-10 per-possession offense.

The 2024-25 team was Gates' best yet, finishing 19th in KenPom before getting upset by Drake in the first round. Next season could be special with bucket-getter and top-five 2026 prospect Jason Crowe Jr. joining the squad. Grade: B-minus.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.