Florida coach Todd Golden ‘happy to put it behind us’ after school clears him in Title IX case

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Todd Golden is ready to move on, with any potential legal response to come after the season.

That might not happen until April for the fifth-ranked Gators.

In the meantime, Florida is embarking on a daunting, two-week stretch that includes three road games against top-15 teams. It begins at No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday — and with Golden seemingly absolved from sexual misconduct accusations he acknowledged were challenging.

The university cleared Golden on Monday following a four-month investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking. The school said no evidence was found and ended its investigation.

“Happy to put it behind us,” Golden said Thursday. “Moving forward, we’ll continue to have our full attention on our team and then the game on Saturday. Look forward to talking about basketball with you guys.”

It’s unclear what’s next step for the Title IX complainants, who have the right to appeal the university’s decision. They also could consider filing a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights in Washington or suing in state or federal court. Their attorney, Karen Truszkowski of the Temperance Legal Group, has not responded to a request for comment.

Golden previously sidestepped chances to deny the allegations “out of the respect to the process” and threatened legal action, presumably against his unnamed accusers. The school’s university athletic association, Golden and his attorney released strong statements Monday, with the coach saying the process “dragged on” and his attorney ripping complainants for leaking confidential material.

Golden declined Thursday to address how he plans to rebuild his reputation.

“To be honest, it’s a very fair and real question,” he said. “I’m simply not worried about that right now. My job is to make sure our team’s prepared. My job is to make sure we’re ready to go for Saturday. I’ll worry about all that stuff later.”

The complaint against Golden accused him of sending photos and videos of his genitalia, making unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requesting sexual favors. The Independent Florida Alligator first reported the allegations in early November.

Golden’s attorney, William Shepherd, said the university’s conclusion “proves that the complaint was meritless.”

The 39-year-old Golden signed a two-year contract extension last March that included a $1 million raise and brought his annual salary to $4 million. The deal runs through the 2029-30 season. He is 58-31 in three seasons.

Florida has won 18 of its first 20 games this season. Winning in Knoxville would boost the team’s postseason resume even more.

“Just going into one of the best venues in college basketball and holding onto your guts enough for 40 or 45 minutes, whatever it takes to find a way to win,” Golden said. “It would be a great feather to put in our cap. And I think if we can somehow find a way to win on Saturday, I think we, at this time, should be a (No. 1) seed, to be honest.”

The Gators also have upcoming games against No. 24 Vanderbilt, at top-ranked Auburn and at No. 14 Mississippi State.

“One of the benefits and one of the great things about this league is you don’t get punished for losing unless you lose in a really bad manner,” he said. “And every win is a resume win. … Win a game like that and maybe you are in a position to be a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.”

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