Ahead of Florida's matchup with Houston in the National Championship Game, Todd Golden is not concerned with the basketball coaching experience gap between himself and Kelvin Sampson. While recognizing the 30-year age difference between them, Golden simply believes his team is the best in the NCAA Tournament.

Neither team has much time to prepare for the other, but Golden is aware of the challenges Houston presents, he admitted in his final pre-game press conference of the year. The young head coach admitted he is “worried” about the Cougars' defense but does not “fear” anyone or any team.

“I obviously respect everyone that we're playing against,” Golden said, via ESPN. “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.”

As one reporter pointed out, Sampson accepted his first graduate assistant position in 1979, six years before Golden was even born. He took his first head coaching position in 1981, still well before Golden was born in 1985.

Golden also acknowledged Houston entering the matchup on an 18-game winning streak that goes back to Feb. 1. Of the Cougars, five NCAA Tournament wins, they held four opponents to 67 points or less.

Florida, Houston basketball both look to end lengthy program droughts

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Whichever team brings home a national championship on Monday will end a lengthy program drought. Florida has not claimed a college basketball national title since 2007, while Houston has never done it. The Cougars have twice finished as runner-ups but have yet to reach the true pinnacle.

Both Todd Golden and Kelvin Sampson are already viewed as legendary figures by their respective schools, but a national title will push them over the top. Sampson, in particular, is widely credited for the revival of Houston basketball after over three decades of substandard results. Winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament would further cement his legacy.

Considering both are coming off impressive Final Four victories, the oddsmakers have an equal amount of respect for the final two teams. Florida is closing as a slight favorite, but only by the slimmest of margins.