Allegations of sexual harassment, stalking, and manipulation have surfaced at the University of Florida involving UF men’s basketball coach Todd Golden, according to recent reports. Two former students have spoken out about their disturbing encounters with Golden, shedding light on what they describe as a troubling pattern of behavior over the past year.
The former students claim that Golden’s actions were not isolated incidents but rather part of a systematic pattern of harassment and manipulation. They allege that Golden used social media to initiate contact with young women, sending unsolicited explicit photos and suggestive messages. The women, who have chosen to remain anonymous, revealed that Golden would first engage by “liking” old posts to grab their attention before sending direct messages that would disappear after being viewed.
One of the former students mentioned, “At first, it starts off slow… Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s fully stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of his [genitalia].’ It was a full grooming process.” The women also shared that Golden tracked their locations through social media posts, even going as far as messaging one of the accusers that he was “waiting for [her]” after she posted her location.
Both women described Golden’s behavior as calculated, noting that he would unfollow and block women on Instagram once the investigation began. They reported that Golden referred to women as “his drug” or “his good luck charm” before games, a tactic they found manipulative and unsettling. One of the former students mentioned, “He just had this manipulation tactic over everyone. He sent us all the same [messages]. It was copy-paste to every girl.”
Moreover, the report revealed that Golden used Instagram activity tracking software to monitor over 100 accounts, many belonging to young women, between August and September. He would like multiple posts at once before unliking them, possibly to avoid detection. This behavior was part of a larger strategy to connect with women discreetly.
In a surprising twist, the students also accused other members of the coaching staff, including Special Assistant Ralphie Ferrari and Director of Basketball Strategy Jonathan Safir, of being complicit in Golden’s alleged misconduct. While Ferrari and Safir have not commented on the accusations, the former students highlighted a toxic culture within the coaching ranks that goes beyond just Golden.
The University of Florida has refrained from making any statements regarding the case due to federal Title IX regulations. Golden has yet to publicly address the allegations, leaving the future of UF’s basketball program uncertain. The lack of action from the university has left one of the former students frustrated, suggesting that the issue may be more widespread than initially thought.
