Someday in the not-too-distant future, Todd Golden hopes to return to Israel. And this time, he’ll bring his whole family with him.

For now, the first Jewish coach to win an NCAA college basketball title in 37 years has more pressing matters than a family vacation on his plate. With the college basketball season kicking off, defending the crown for the University of Florida, with a largely fresh cast of characters, will be a full-time job.

It’s a job he never could have imagined having back when he was playing for Maccabi Haifa in 2008 as a recent immigrant to Israel. He recalls that time fondly and has kept in contact with some of his teammates from that squad over the years.

“There are probably 5-10 guys that were players or managers on the team I still stay in touch with regularly,” the 39-year-old Golden told The Times of Israel in a recent wide-ranging interview. “It’s pretty cool because when I was there, I was a 23-year-old kid just out of college playing on their team, and now I’m coaching at Florida and we won a national championship. So you know there’s a lot of pride from their perspective to see me and what we’ve been able to do.”

Life’s been hectic since April, when his Gators cut down the nets in San Antonio and Golden emerged as the winner from an unprecedentedly Jewish Final Four. The championship round included Auburn coach Bruce Pearl — Golden’s close friend and mentor — and Duke’s Jon Scheyer. The fourth team, Houston, featured Israel-born Emanuel Sharp, son of Maccabi Tel Aviv legend Derrick Sharp.

Florida knocked off Pearl’s Auburn team with a second-half rally to earn a spot in the championship, and then staged another second-half comeback to nip Houston 65-63 for the title.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Golden of the ensuing six months. “Our program really had the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments that we had last season.”

Among the highlights: going to the White House to be feted by US President Donald Trump and the New York Athletic Club’s Winged Foot award.

“It’s been awesome, especially here locally at the University of Florida from Hillel and all the people just how proud they are of our program,” he recalled.

For the kid from Phoenix who went to the local Jewish Community Center to play hoops every day after school and on Sundays, it’s kind of humbling being mentioned in the same breath as legendary Jewish basketball coaches Red Auerbach, Red Holzman and Larry Brown, who was the last Jewish coach to win the NCAA championship, doing it with Kansas in 1988.

“For me, it started being in the Final Four with Bruce and owning 75% of the Final Four market share with Jewish coaches. I’m very prideful to say I’m the first one since Larry to win one,” Golden said.

Golden said he grew up in a........

© The Times of Israel