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Florida men’s basketball assistant coach Kevin Hovde has been named the new head coach of the Columbia Lions, the school announced on Monday. Hovde will leave Florida after the Gators’ NCAA Tournament run to take over the program at Columbia. This will be his first head coaching position.
Kevin Hovde has been named as the next men’s basketball head coach. Currently an assistant coach at the University of Florida, Hovde previously served as director of basketball operations and assistant coach at Columbia, having joined the program in 2011. https://t.co/uTRahTqJlq
— Columbia Daily Spectator (@ColumbiaSpec) March 27, 2025
Hovde’s Background
Hovde was a former player at the Richmond basketball program. He also has a rich coaching resume that includes stops at Columbia, San Francisco, Richmond and finally the Gators. Under his leadership at Florida, the Gators have achieved historic offensive success. This season, Florida is averaging 85.4 points per game and has made 356 three-pointers, just one shy of the program record set in 2011-12.
As Florida’s assistant coach, Hovde has been instrumental in shaping the Gators’ explosive offense. Head coach Todd Golden has given him high praise.
“He’s (Hovde) just an incredible basketball mind, but an even better person,” Golden said. “Always ahead of the game with what he does. He deserves a lot of credit for how explosive our offense is.”
Hovde will remain with Florida for the remainder of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as the Gators prepare to compete in the Sweet 16. This coaching staff will also be losing assistant coach John Andrzejek. He will then head to Campbell as the head coach.
Focused On One Goal
Even with the unavoidable changes that will happen within the coaching staff, this team still has its eye on the prize.
The Gators will continue their push for the national championship. They are set to take on the four-seeded Maryland Terrapins in the Sweet 16. The game will take place Thursday night at 7:39 in San Francisco. With a spot in the Elite Eight on the line, both teams are looking to continue their championship aspirations.
SWEET SIXTEEN BOUND pic.twitter.com/raMHzyCJcG
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 23, 2025
