Todd Golden Becomes First Jewish Coach Since 1988 to Win March Madness

Golden’s win wasn’t just a personal milestone — it capped off a Final Four that carried a notable connection to Jewish and Israeli basketball culture. Three of the four teams in the semifinals — Florida, Duke, and Auburn — were led by Jewish head coaches: Todd Golden, Jon Scheyer, and Bruce Pearl, respectively.

Adding to the story, Houston’s standout guard Emanuel Sharp brought his own Israeli connection to the court. Sharp, the son of former Maccabi Tel Aviv star Derrick Sharp, represented Israel’s national youth basketball team before playing college ball in the U.S.

At just 39 years old, Todd Golden also earned another impressive distinction — becoming the youngest head coach to win the NCAA title since the tournament format expanded in 1985. His basketball journey has been far from ordinary. Before stepping into the coaching spotlight, Golden spent two seasons playing professionally in Israel for Maccabi Haifa. He also competed for Team USA in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 under none other than Bruce Pearl, now a fellow Final Four coach.

This championship win was more than just a buzzer-beater moment — it was a celebration of basketball’s global reach and a reflection of Golden’s own path, shaped by both American college hoops and Israeli basketball culture.

He served as Pearl’s assistant at Auburn as well. Prior to moving to Florida in 2022, he worked at Columbia and San Francisco. On Saturday, Golden fight and defeated his mentor as Florida defeated Auburn in the semifinals. Pearl sat for a joint interview with Golden prior to the game.

Golden was the subject of a Title IX inquiry after several women accused him of sexual misconduct earlier this season. Golden was found not to have engaged in misbehavior “within a university program or activity,” according to the investigators, who dropped the accusations.

Larry Brown, the 1988 Kansas coach who won the tournament, was the last Jewish coach to do so before Golden.