Columbia hires Gators assistant Hovde as coach

Mar 24, 2025, 11:19 AM ETNEW YORK — Columbia has hired Florida assistant Kevin Hovde as its men’s basketball head coach, the school announced Monday.Hovde was on the staff at Columbia for five seasons, two alongside current Florida coach Todd Golden. He joined the program as the director of basketball operations in 2011 and was promoted to assistant coach the following season. In 2015-16, his final season at Columbia, the Lions went 25-10 and won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.Editor’s Picks2 RelatedAfter his time at Columbia, Hovde went to San Francisco, Richmond and then Florida. He’s been with the Gators since 2022. Florida is a No. 1 seed in the men’s NCAA tournament and the Gators are in the Sweet 16.Hovde succeeds Jim Engles, who took over in 2016, a year after Hovde left. This season, Columbia had its best non-conference record ever, starting 8-0 and receiving votes in the poll before finishing 11-2, including a win at Villanova. It was the best start to a season since the 1969-70 team.The Lions struggled to a 1-13 mark in the Ivy League because of injuries.Hovde becomes the second Florida assistant to land a head coaching job after John Andrzejek was hired by Campbell last week.Hovde and Andrzejek will remain with the Gators through the NCAA tournament.”We’re in a position, because of our success, that people on our staff are getting opportunities, which for me it’s the best thing you could ever ask for,” Golden said Monday. “It’s just like when your players have success and they have the opportunity to go play in the NBA, then other guys want to come play for you because they’re like, ‘Oh, that guy.’ It’s the same thing for coaches.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.