Photo: Getty Images
The University of Florida announced it found "no evidence" that men's basketball coach Todd Golden violated Title IX and closed its four-month investigation in a statement shared to ESPN on Monday (January 27).
The investigation was launched after a complaint was filed against Golden, 39, on September 27, 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking and cyberstalking multiple women, including several UF students.
"The University of Florida takes these matters seriously and works deliberately to ensure that due process is upheld for everyone," said university spokesperson Steve Orlando in the statement. "After a thorough investigation that included dozens of interviews over the past months, the University of Florida has found no evidence that Todd Golden violated IX. The Title IX office has closed its investigation."
A spokesperson for the University Athletic Association, which oversees UF athletics, also confirmed that the investigation was completed in a statement to ESPN on Monday.
"We take these matters seriously and understand the need for the process to be conducted with strict confidentiality and discretion," the UAA said. "Throughout this process, Coach Golden has demonstrated tremendous focus and professionalism, and we commend him for that. As the Gators move forward, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting a championship experience with integrity."
Golden also shared a statement on his X account in response to the decision on Monday.
"The last several months have been a challenge for my family and me while this process dragged on," Golden said. "We asked for the public to allow the process to work through to its conclusion and not rush to judgement based on allegations. The UAA and so many at the University have been tremendously supportive - my family and I are extremely grateful.
"And thank you to our fans for your incredible support for our players and our program. It has made a huge difference."
A formal Title IX complaint accused Golden of requesting sexual favors and sending unsolicited photos of his genitalia through his Instagram account while traveling for school business. The coach was also accused of taking photos of women while they were walking or driving and sending them to the individuals involved in the complaint on multiple occasions.
A former UF student claimed Golden stalked her in person after she shared her location on an Instagram story and the coach replied that he was “waiting for [her]” in the area, which she claimed happened more than 10 times, and said she received unsolicited photos of his genitals while the team was on road trips.
“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” the woman told the Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper at the time. “And then it becomes, ‘Wow, he’s kind of crossing a line. No, he didn’t mean it that way.’ Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s fully stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of his d–k.’ It was a full grooming process with all of us.”
A second woman claimed Golden would like several of her Instagram posts in an effort to get her attention before removing the likes to hide activity.
"He would go at such lengths about it,” one of the women said. “He would go back, like a year back, and like 10 photos at once. Then, obviously [he] followed up with a DM, always in vanish mode … Just really aggressive Instagram stalking is the best way to put it.”
Golden was hired in 2022 after three seasons at San Francisco, having initially worked as an associate from 2016 to 2019. The 39-year-old has gone 57-30 (26-1 SEC) during his tenure, which includes a 18-2 (5-2 SEC) record during the 2024-25 season.