Florida vs. Auburn: Todd Golden Faces a Familiar Foe in a High-Stakes SEC Clash
Saturday’s SEC showdown between Florida and Auburn isn’t just another conference matchup-it’s a reunion wrapped in rivalry, with deep personal ties and postseason implications. When the No.
16 Gators host the Tigers in Gainesville, Florida head coach Todd Golden will go head-to-head with Auburn’s Steven Pearl, a former teammate, longtime friend, and fellow Bruce Pearl disciple. But don’t expect any warm-and-fuzzy moments once the ball tips.
“We want to beat them pretty bad. They want to do the same to us,” Golden said. “I think we can do a good job of separating that relationship from the competition this weekend.”
Golden and Pearl’s history runs deep. From their days as teammates to their time as co-assistants on Bruce Pearl’s Auburn staff, their connection spans decades.
They even found themselves on opposite sidelines during the 2025 Final Four, when Florida edged Auburn 79-73 with Steven still serving under his father. Now, for the first time, the two will face off as head coaches-each trying to outmaneuver the other in a game that carries real weight in the SEC standings.
Florida enters the matchup riding a league-best five-game winning streak, sitting at 14-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Auburn, at 12-7 and 3-3 in the SEC, is still finding its footing in the post-Bruce Pearl era.
When the elder Pearl retired in September after a 700-win career, it was clear the succession plan pointed to Steven. But the transition hasn’t been seamless.
Auburn stumbled out of the gate with a two-point loss to unranked Oklahoma State, then needed overtime to get past Bethune-Cookman at home. A narrow defeat to then-No. 1 Houston was understandable, but blowout losses to Michigan (by 30), Arizona (29), and Purdue (28) exposed growing pains.
Florida’s early-season road wasn’t smooth either. The Gators came out of non-conference play at 5-4, but those four losses came by an average of just 3.4 points.
The difference? Florida stayed competitive, even in defeat.
“It’s all about expectation,” Golden said. “Some of the stuff we dealt with early in the year, having high expectations and struggling to meet that.
They also had a lot similar. Obviously, we probably kept it a little closer in those games.”
Since then, both teams have started to turn the corner. Auburn bounced back from the Michigan loss by beating St.
John’s the very next day. And after dropping their first two SEC games, the Tigers made a statement with a 95-73 win over then-No.
15 Arkansas. There’s no shortage of talent on this team, and Golden knows it.
“They’re a very talented team that has a really high ceiling,” he said.
Still, it’s Florida that’s looking like a contender. The Gators are rounding into form at just the right time, with eyes on another deep March run. Auburn, on the other hand, is fighting to stay in the NCAA Tournament picture-a streak that’s been intact since 2018, save for a 2021 absence due to recruiting violations.
Golden’s connection to the Pearl family goes back even further-to the 2005 World Maccabiah Games, where Bruce coached him and Steven played alongside him. Golden describes Bruce as “a second father,” but once the whistle blows, all that history gets left behind.
“When we’re between the lines, it doesn’t really matter,” Golden said.
Steven Pearl may not bring the same firebrand sideline energy as his father-no sweat-soaked shirts or animated outbursts-but Auburn still plays with the same urgency and edge that defined Bruce Pearl’s 31-year coaching career. Fast-paced, physical, and relentless. And that’s where the matchup gets really interesting.
Auburn’s frontcourt is anchored by Keyshawn Hall, a UCF transfer who’s been a force-averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Hall brings a versatile scoring punch, while 6-foot-10, 230-pound KeShawn Murphy adds size and strength inside.
They’ll be tested by Florida’s own bruisers-6-foot-11 Alex Condon (14.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and 6-foot-10 Rueben Chinyelu, who leads the SEC with 11.2 rebounds per game. Chinyelu is coming off a monster 21-rebound outing in Florida’s 79-61 win over LSU.
Add in freshman Filip Jović, a 6-foot-8 Serbian forward shooting a blistering 21-of-25 in SEC play, and Florida’s frontcourt becomes even more formidable.
“We’re gonna have our hands full with those guys,” Golden said. “We got to lean into our depth and make sure that we’re putting pressure on them on every shot and every possession in our hope of wearing them down a little bit.”
On the perimeter, Auburn sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford (13.9 ppg, 3.2 apg) is a dynamic shotmaker, and 6-foot-8 Elyjah Freeman presents matchup headaches with his length and athleticism. But they’ll need to be at their best to break through in Gainesville.
The O’Connell Center has become a fortress for the Gators. Florida has won 10 straight SEC games at home and 16 straight overall, including nine this season by an average margin of 25.2 points. That’s not just homecourt advantage-it’s dominance.
Golden knows this Auburn team is better than its record suggests. He’s seen the talent, coached alongside it, and helped build it. But come Saturday, friendship takes a backseat to competition.
“They’re better than their record is right now in the league,” Golden said. “We’re mindful of that.”
And with the SEC standings tightening and March creeping closer, both coaches know what’s on the line-bragging rights, postseason positioning, and maybe even a little bit of legacy.