Gators HC Todd Golden Discusses Recruiting; Stresses Importance of Transfer Portal

New Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden recruiting philosophy will bring a mixture of traditional recruiting efforts paired with the transfer portal.

Photo: Todd Golden; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Florida Gators' new head coach Todd Golden has major work as a recruiter to repair a thin and broken roster before he hits the court for his first season at UF.

The current personnel woes were mainly created as a result of a mass exodus following the 2020-21 season that forced the addition of plug-and-play veteran transfers grabbed off the market last offseason that will now be leaving the program after a one-year rental.

Under the previous regime, recruiting stood as one of the relative non-issues as Mike White and his staff consistently brought talented pieces into the program. Pulling in the likes of Andrew Nembhard, Scottie Lewis, Keyontae Johnson, Tre Mann, Kowacie Reeves Jr. and others, the talent was in place for Florida to find success on the court during the regular season and in March. 

However, White failed to maximize that talent once it was acquired.

As the Golden era takes over Gainesville, the Gators will attempt to replicate similar success on the recruiting trail and pair it equally with player development.

Golden offered insight into how he and his staff will prioritize traditional recruiting and balance that with the new wave of transfer portal prospects to equip for heightened achievement under his tutelage during his introductory press conference on Mar. 23.

"I want guys to come and play for me and my staff, but I want them to be passionate about being here, about making this place great, and so we're going to go out on the trail and tirelessly look for guys that fit that mold," Golden said. 

"We're going to go for the best players in the country. We're going to try to build a fence around the State of Florida and make sure that we're involved with every great student-athlete within this footprint, and then we'll go regionally. We'll look internationally. We'll look in the portal. We'll do everything we need to do.

The recruiting world is a fast-paced industry that takes tireless vetting and in-depth analysis of the type of players and people the prospects are. 

It's essential to find guys that showcase a skill set that meshes with the Golden operation.

For example, slated to play "fast, but not in a hurry" with quick shots at the rim and three-point attempts, the system will be dependent on primary ball handlers that make intelligent decisions with the basketball, spot-up shooters, shot creators and big men who understand how to rim run.

Meanwhile, Golden highlighted that their process would be narrowed even further as they find people who align with his vision of a team that plays hard for the Gators lettering they tote on their chest. 

"The main key is to recruit highly motivated student-athletes that are great basketball players that are passionate and prideful for being here at the University of Florida," he said. You recruit to what you want to coach. We're going to look for really smart, motivated student-athletes. Obviously, high-level basketball players, guys that have great attitudes, great work ethics. Most importantly, that really want to be at the University of Florida."

However, given the drastic changes college basketball has recently undergone, Golden's focus now spans beyond the traditional style of recruiting highly touted high school recruits. 

He is now tasked with balancing moldable freshmen with established veterans from the transfer portal that can provide immediate minutes as a polished, accomplished player.

"It's just going to be a piece of our program building for sure," Golden said about the portal. "I think the recruiting landscape has changed more in the last two years than it had in the previous 20. 

"In the past, programs have generally been built from a student-athlete perspective from the ground up. Recruiting a lot of high school kids and developing and growing through the bottom of the program and get them through to graduation. It's just changed that way."

While he stressed that Florida will not strictly rely on the portal to acquire talent, Golden ensured that it will be a valuable tool for filling missing pieces in the system and scheme the team will operate.

"You can find a lot of special kids student-athletes in the portal that can fit within the makeup of your program if you look hard."

It is equally as beneficial for the athletes that get to move from one program to another, often elevating their status to either move from the mid-major level or become a feature piece in another major program's puzzle.

Golden's recruitment efforts won't stop with the players he attempts to bring in to return Florida to a high status on the court. He has already expressed plans to build connections in the community to garner supporters as he enters the high-risk, high-reward position.

"Off the court, I'm committed to rebuilding the foundation of this program from the ground up, going out in the community, building relationships with the necessary folks, the donors, the alums, the people in the City of Gainesville, and just getting the excitement back in the program."

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