How Kenny Payne’s Season Compares With Other First-Year Coaches

LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 03: Head coach Kenny Payne of the Louisville Cardinals is seen during the game against against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on January 3, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 03: Head coach Kenny Payne of the Louisville Cardinals is seen during the game against against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on January 3, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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Todd Golden (Florida)

After a disappointing 2021-2022 season in which the Gators missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016, Florida men’s basketball head coach Mike White resigned and accepted the head coaching position at the University of Georgia. The Florida men’s basketball program went on to hire San Francisco’s Todd Golden in March 2022.

Golden’s first season has not quite lived up to expectations, as Florida is just 14-15 overall and 7-9 in conference play. They have, however, managed to earn quality wins against SEC opponents such as Tennessee, Missouri, and Mississippi State.

Nevertheless, the Gators find themselves in the bottom half of the conference standings, and it appears to be a foregone conclusion that the program will miss the Big Dance for a second straight season.

Todd Golden will likely get at least one more year to help the Gators turn things around. However, his tenure as the head coach of the Florida Gators is certainly off to a rocky start.