GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was fitting that Florida arrived nearly two hours late to its on-campus celebration Tuesday. After all, it was exactly how the Gators played while winning the NCAA Tournament.
Coaches and players returned to Gainesville roughly 16 hours after rallying to beat Houston, 65-63, in San Antonio to secure the program’s third national title. They stepped off the plane and onto a bus wearing championships hats and T-shirts — some of them slept in them — while still holding hardware from the night before.
They arrived on campus to find thousands of screaming fans clamoring for photos, autographs and hugs.
“This is amazing, absolutely amazing,” coach Todd Golden told the crowd. “I know you guys have been out here for a while. You guys have been amazing all year. Your support has carried us to the highest level. I know myself, my staff and our players appreciate you more than you know.”
The Gators partied long into the night, got a few hours of sleep at most and were scheduled to arrive back in Gainesville around 1 p.m. But someone forgot a championship trophy at the hotel, so they had to double back, and then the charter flight got delayed because of a crowded tarmac.
Fans started showing up about 10 a.m. for the festivities, which were held at Flavet Field — a short walk from the team’s practice facility. A helicopter circled the venue, and nearly two dozen camera crews showed up. Cheerleaders, dancers, the school band and eventually mascots entertained those in attendance.
Even a nearby construction crew stopped moving dirt and attached a Florida Gators flag to their raised excavator bucket before grabbing seats for the show.
After Golden spoke, it was Walter Clayton Jr.’s turn on the mic. Fans started chanting his name as he handed the championship trophy to teammate Will Richard for safe keeping. Clayton, wearing dark sunglasses and his hat a little crooked, repeated a motto that started with Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green during Florida’s back-to-back titles in 2006-07.
“Gator boys stay hot,” said Clayton, who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player. “Man, Florida is back on top, and it’s going to continue.”
That part remains to be seen after Florida (36-4) delivered four come-from-behind victories in six March Madness wins. The Gators led the finale for a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a contest that was in limbo until the final sequence.
Golden has work to do in replacing his starting backcourt — Clayton, Richard and Alijah Martin — as well as two of his top three assistants; Kevin Hovde is leaving for Columbia, while John Andrzejek is headed to Campbell.
The Gators hope to build around several returning players, a group that included guards Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar as well as big men Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh. Florida will add four-star shooting guard CJ Ingram and could be in the mix for former North Carolina guard Ian Jackson, who entered the transfer portal after just one season with the Tar Heels.
The 39-year-old Golden, who became the youngest since N.C. State’s Jim Valvano in 1983 to win it all, already turned his attention toward a modest rebuild. He called several recruits during a floating parade late Monday night about San Antonio’s iconic River Walk.
Back in Gainesville, the Florida faithful waited patiently. And no one could blame them since they hadn’t won anything significant in football or basketball since Tim Tebow played quarterback for the Gators in 2008.
Now, Florida sits alone as the only school in the country with at least three national titles in the two biggest sports.
Locals packed the O’Connell Center to revel in the latest celebration and then rushed to the streets to continue the party. It continued again Tuesday, and the Gators will honor the basketball team once again before the football team’s annual spring game Saturday.
This time, for a change, the basketball team is expected to be on time.
