Todd Golden Says Florida Doesn't 'Fear' Kelvin Sampson, Houston But Respects Cougars

Florida head coach Todd Golden has respect for Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, but his team isn't fearful of the Cougars entering the national championship game of the 2025 NCAA tournament.

"I obviously respect everyone that we're playing against," Golden said, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "We don't fear people. We respect them. That goes for the coaches, as well. All these guys that we're competing against at this point are either Hall of Fame coaches or potentially on their way to being Hall of Fame coaches or really, really successful head coaches."

The Gators punched their ticket to the national title game with a 79-73 win over Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday.

Florida trailed by eight points at halftime, but it surged back in front during the second half as senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

Golden is in the midst of his third season with the Gators and never advanced beyond the first round of March Madness prior to 2025, while Sampson has three Final Four appearances under his belt and is in his 11th year at Houston.

Golden praised Sampson, but he also wasn't letting himself be affected by the difference in experience between them.

"The fact that we've been able to compete and stay alive through five games in the tournament, [we're] incredibly proud of that," Golden said, via Medcalf. "This is a great opportunity again for us [Monday] night. Coach Sampson is a Hall of Fame head coach. If we're able to beat them, it will be a great honor."

Florida's offense has remained sharp throughout its March Madness run, averaging 84.4 points per game across five tournament contests.

The Gators have a tough test ahead of them, as Sampson's squad owns the No. 1 scoring defense in the country by allowing just 58.5 points per game.

Houston held Duke to just nine points over the final 10 minutes of its 70-67 victory in the Final Four on Saturday night.

Florida and Houston are set to battle for a national title on Monday, with tip-off at 8:50 p.m. ET.