Todd Golden, UF Men’s Basketball Coach, Accused of Making Unwanted Sexual Advances on Social Media
Todd Golden, the head coach of the University of Florida men's basketball team, has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward multiple women on social media. The allegations have sparked an investigation as the university looks into the claims. Specific details of the incidents remain unclear, but the accusations have raised serious concerns. Golden has yet to comment publicly on the matter.
UF Basketball Coach Todd Golden Accused of Sexual Harassment and Stalking
Todd Golden, the head coach of the University of Florida men's basketball team, has been accused of sexual harassment and stalking by an undisclosed number of women, according to Title IX documents obtained by *The Alligator*. The University of Florida (UF) received a formal Title IX complaint on September 27, alleging that Golden engaged in behavior that may have violated UF's Gender Equity Policy.
As required by federal law, UF has not publicly commented on or confirmed any details of the Title IX investigation, according to a university spokesperson.
The complaint includes serious allegations against Golden, including sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and stalking, all of which are said to have been directed at UF students over the course of a year. Specific claims detail Golden sending unsolicited photos of his genitalia while traveling for the university, making unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, and engaging in stalking behaviors.
Among the stalking allegations, Golden reportedly took photos of women without their consent—sometimes while they were walking or driving—and sent those images directly to the individuals involved. On other occasions, he allegedly showed up at locations where he knew these women would be.
Golden is also accused of engaging in manipulative behavior on social media, including liking and unliking Instagram posts to gain the attention of women. He allegedly liked multiple photos at once, sometimes going back several months, and would wait until the women read his direct messages before unliking the photos in an attempt to avoid suspicion.
The Alligator interviewed two women, both former UF students, who confirmed these behaviors and requested anonymity for safety reasons. According to the women, they began experiencing Golden’s stalking and harassment over a year ago. One woman described how Golden would stalk her in person, both in his car and on foot, more than 10 times. On one occasion, after she posted her location on Instagram, Golden allegedly messaged her to say he was "waiting for [her]."
The woman also reported receiving unsolicited explicit photos from Golden while the team was traveling. She described how Golden’s behavior escalated over time, from initially feeling uneasy about his attention to becoming uncomfortable with the explicit messages and images.
Both women also shared experiences of Golden liking their Instagram posts—sometimes older ones—and then unliking them after sending direct messages. “He would go back, like a year back, and like ten photos at once. Then, obviously, follow up with a DM in vanish mode… just really aggressive Instagram stalking,” one woman said.
Additionally, the women claimed that Golden referred to them as "his drug" or "his good luck charm" before games, further demonstrating a pattern of manipulation. Both women also stated that they were unfollowed by Golden in August, shortly after they were informed that UF had begun looking into his behavior.
Snoopreport, an Instagram activity tracking tool, revealed that between August 1 and September 1, Golden unfollowed 118 accounts, many of which appeared to belong to young women without any clear connection to the UF basketball program. Both women confirmed that Golden had blocked them after they were made aware of the investigation.
The allegations also extend beyond Golden. The women allege that UF Special Assistant Ralphie Ferrari and Director of Basketball Strategy Jonathan Safir were aware of Golden’s behavior and were complicit in the misconduct. Neither Ferrari nor Safir have been named in the Title IX complaint, and both declined to comment.
One of the women believes the issue is larger than just Golden. She expressed concerns about a culture of sexual harassment within the coaching staff, suggesting that the behavior may have been normalized since Golden’s arrival in Gainesville over two years ago. "I think it's just a sick joke they're all doing within that organization," she said. "There's something really sick going on there."
The Alligator reached out to the UF men’s basketball coaching staff for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
For ongoing updates on this story, contact Jack Meyer at jmeyer@alligator.org and Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org.
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