'It was a grooming process': Florida students reveal details about coach Todd Golden's alleged stalking and harassment

Allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and manipulation have rocked the University of Florida as two former students came forward and described disturbing encounters with UF men’s basketball coach Todd Golden. According to Title IX documents obtained by the student newspaper The alligatorthe complaint against Golden paints a disturbing picture, with multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior over the past year. Here’s what we know so far about the allegations and the culture that may have allowed them to happen.

The alleged pattern of harassment

The former students allege Golden’s actions went beyond isolated incidents and describe what they say was a systematic pattern of intimidation and manipulation. According to reports from The alligatorThese allegations detail Golden’s use of social media to contact young women, often with unsolicited explicit photos and suggestive messages. Both women, who requested anonymity, said Golden would “like” several old messages to catch their attention before sending direct messages in “disappear mode,” which makes messages disappear after being viewed.

One former student recalled, “It starts slow at first… Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s completely stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of him (genitals).’ It was a complete grooming process.” Golden allegedly tracked women’s locations through social media posts and once messaged one of the accusers saying he was “waiting for (her)” after she posted her location.

“It was copy-paste for every girl”

Both women described Golden’s behavior as highly calculated, with one claiming he would unfollow and block women on Instagram once the investigation into his actions began. According to Title IX documents, Golden sometimes referred to women as “his medicine” or “his good luck charm” before matches, an approach that both women found manipulative and disturbing. “He just had this manipulation tactic about everyone,” one former student said. “He sent us all the same messages. It was copy-paste to each girl.”

The report claims that Golden even monitored Instagram activity tracking software between August and September, unfollowing more than 100 accounts – many of which belonged to young women. This behavior reportedly included “liking” multiple posts at once before unliking them, presumably to avoid attracting attention. According to The GuardianThis tactic was part of a larger pattern designed to connect with women without arousing suspicion.

Complicity within the technical staff?

Complicating the matter further, the students claim that other members of the coaching staff were aware of Golden’s conduct. Special assistant Ralphie Ferrari and director of basketball strategy Jonathan Safir are accused by the students of being complicit in the alleged misconduct, although neither man is named in the formal Title IX complaint. Both Ferrari and Safir declined to comment when reached The alligator.

One of the former students described what she sees as a culture of intimidation that extends beyond Golden, calling the environment “a sick joke” within the coaching ranks. She expressed frustration that the university had not taken significant action and suggested the problem could be deeper than just one individual.

The University of Florida has refrained from commenting on the case, citing federal Title IX rules that prevent them from discussing ongoing investigations. Golden has not publicly responded to the allegations. To date, the university has not made a formal statement regarding Golden’s position, leaving the future of UF’s basketball program uncertain.