Florida Gators trying to lock in a Todd Golden contract extension

March Madness didn't end the way Todd Golden and the Florida Gators were hoping for.

The Gators were the No. 1 seed in the South Region and the defending national champions, but they were dispatched by the No. 9-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round.

It was a disappointing end for the Gators, but that's not going to stop the powers that be in Gainesville from doing everything they can to lock Golden up.

There could be some potential big-time job openings hitting the market soon (Kansas and North Carolina are two programs to watch in that regard), and Florida does not want to lose Golden.

As such, athletic director Scott Stricklin said on Tuesday that the Gators are aiming to get another contract in front of Golden. He has already received raises in back-to-back years, but the Gators want to make sure he knows they love him.

"We're going to do everything in our power to make sure he always knows that he's really valuable," Stricklin said, according to ESPN.

Golden signed a two-year extension in 2024 that took his average salary up to $4.1 million annually. In May of last season, after winning the national championship, the Gators gave him another deal and bumped his average salary to $6.75 million.

Florida Gators may be exploring another extension for Todd Golden 

Despite the early NCAA Tournament loss, it sounds like the Gators want to keep up the trend with Golden, who will turn 41 in July.

"When we have talented, successful coaches, we're going to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated at the University of Florida," Stricklin said. "We've given Todd new contracts each of the last two years. He's a priority for the University of Florida, and we're going to treat him as such."

Golden is 103-41 at Florida over four seasons. He has five years remaining on his current contract and a $16 million buyout. That buyout drops to $11 million in April, though, according to ESPN, so adding more time to the deal could bump the buyout back up and make it harder for any other bluebloods to come after him.

That seems to be the plan in Gainesville, at least.

"Todd wants to be at the University of Florida," he said. "I wish all those [other] programs really good luck. I'm sure they'll find a good coach out there, and I'm glad Todd's going be here for a long time."