When Florida defeated Auburn 79-73 in the 2025 Final Four semifinal, the victory meant much more than just advancing to the national championship game.
For Gators head coach Todd Golden, the postgame handshake with Auburn’s Bruce Pearl was an emotional moment that detracted from the typical celebration after reaching a national championship game. This wasn’t just any opponent; Golden was facing his former boss and mentor.
Todd Golden’s Reflection on Facing His Mentor
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Golden opened up about his mixed feelings surrounding his victory over his former boss. When asked about what it was like to shake hands with the man who gave him his opportunity in Power Conference basketball, Golden was honest about how difficult the moment was.
“Yeah, there were a lot of range of emotions in that game, to say the least,” Golden said. “First time being in a situation like that, going against someone that I love, a mentor of mine, someone that’s treated me like a son over the course of my life and my career.”
The Florida coach reflected on how unexpected this matchup felt. Golden explained how surreal the situation was: “And so we’re battling going back and forth in a situation that I don’t think either of us really imagined could happen, you know, going back six or seven years when we worked together at Auburn.”
But it was the postgame moment that hit Golden the hardest. “Having the opportunity to beat them in advance and then walking down the court, you know, to see Coach and, you know, in a situation where he was obviously really disappointed was tough,” Golden continued. “And, you know, it took away some of the joy that we had in advancing.”
Golden got his start in high-major coaching on Pearl’s Auburn staff, but their connection goes back even further. The two coaches first met through international Jewish basketball and the 2009 Maccabiah Games, where Pearl coached the U.S. team to gold and saw Golden’s competitive fire as a player.
Golden believed that if Pearl had to lose to someone, he was glad it was Florida. “But I know he was proud of me and our team,” Golden said. “And I know if there was somebody that he had to lose to, you know, he was he was happy with us and not somebody else.”
That mutual respect was evident to everyone watching. Pearl had praised Florida throughout the tournament and even called a potential matchup “full-circle” months before it happened. Florida’s comeback win was powered by Walter Clayton Jr.’s 34 points and a strong second-half rally after trailing by eight at halftime.
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The victory sent the Gators to their first championship game since 2007, where they won the national title by beating Houston in an epic comeback. But his honest words about beating Pearl show what makes these significant moments in college basketball so special.
