Billy Donovan to Magic

[rmackman]

Billy did what was right for him. He's given a great 11 years of service to UF. 2 National Championships, 3 Final Four appearances, 6 SEC titles...I mean he put the team on the map. I can't fault him for making this decision. It hurts because as a Heat fan I have to root against him now, and the timing sucks, but he made the best decision for him and I wish him luck. Thanks Billy!

[leedsunited]

Florida lost their 6 top scorers, including that "Fab Five" that earned him two national championships. I highly doubt that the new recruits would be enough to put Florida in position to win a title.

So a college coach should bail for another job when things get a little tough? Regardless, I don't think Billy Donovan is going to enjoy going 42-40 in the NBA and getting hammered by the media and his players as much as he enjoyed being an icon in Gainesville.

I don't think it's so easy to be an "icon" in college basketball. You're only as good as your last couple of seasons (ask Tubby Smith), and recruiting is a year-long, grueling drag. Not to mention the asinine NCAA rules you have to play within, boosters, crazed expectations, et al.

It's no wonder most of these guys jump at the NBA opportunity.

[infrared41]

I don't think it's so easy to be an "icon" in college basketball. You're only as good as your last couple of seasons (ask Tubby Smith), and recruiting is a year-long, grueling drag. Not to mention the asinine NCAA rules you have to play within, boosters, crazed expectations, et al.

It's no wonder most of these guys jump at the NBA opportunity.

Florida isn't Kentucky. In fact, no job is similar to Kentucky. Tubby Smith is a bad example to use. Kentucky is the worst job in college basketball...for coaches.

Maybe icon was a poor description on my part. The point I am making is that Donovan had carte blanche in Gainesville. In Orlando he'll be expected to be the genius that wins them 3 titles in 10 years or something ridiculous based on what he did at Florida. We've seen what basing pro expectations on college performance can result in. Just ask pretty much any college coach who has attempted the jump in any sport. Their success rate is for . Donovan will be no different. An 82 game season with prima donna players you didn't choose is a whole lot different than 35 or so games a season with 18 to 20 year olds you personally recruited. I may be wrong but the odds are overwhelmingly on my side.

Since you mentioned Kentucky we may as well say it now...we'll get to see how Donovan does in Lexington since he'll probably be there by 2009 or 2010.

[infrared41]

double post

[infrared41]

triple post. Is that a record or something?

[leedsunited]

Kentucky's the worst job? Ask Pitino how bad it was for him...

Besides, it's no different than any other pressure-cooker high-profile NCAA job nowadays.

Tubby Smith got a bit lazy with the recruiting, and he was eaten alive by the boosters and fans. You can't tell me no one's immune to that - and i'm sure Donovan knows this. If he didn't, he'd still be at Florida. Pitino would still be at KY, et al, et al. Yeah, they run back, but that's only because the NBA has closed off to them now - and they've pretty much got no choice.

And Donovan aint goin back to Lexington in 09 or 10 because Billy Clyde will probably still be there.

[infrared41]

Kentucky's the worst job? Ask Pitino how bad it was for him...

Besides, it's no different than any other pressure-cooker high-profile NCAA job nowadays.

Tubby Smith got a bit lazy with the recruiting, and he was eaten alive by the boosters and fans. You can't tell me no one's immune to that - and i'm sure Donovan knows this. If he didn't, he'd still be at Florida. Pitino would still be at KY, et al, et al. Yeah, they run back, but that's only because the NBA has closed off to them now - and they've pretty much got no choice.

And Donovan aint goin back to Lexington in 09 or 10 because Billy Clyde will probably still be there.

Yes, for all the reasons you stated above about Tubby Smith, I believe that from a sanity and stress standpoint Kentucky is easily the worst job in college basketball. If it weren't then why is Billy Gillispie the new coach? I can tell you why because none of the bigger names wanted it. Kentucky is entirely different from other "pressure cooker" NCAA jobs.

Do you honestly think that Thad Matta is under the same amount of pressure as Gillispie? I promise you Tom Izzo doesn't face Kentucky type pressure at Michigan State. Jim Boeheim at Syracuse? Not even close. I could go on and on. Even jobs like UCLA and UNC aren't as bad as Kentucky when it comes to expectations. Kentucky fans, alumni, and boosters are off the charts even when compared to other upper tier programs. That's why they had to settle for a guy from Texas A&M as their new head coach. They'll eat him alive too. Hell, they never really liked Pitino that much but they put up with him because he got results.

[BaltimoreFan]

We've seen what basing pro expectations on college performance can result in. Just ask pretty much any college coach who has attempted the jump in any sport. Their success rate is for . Donovan will be no different. An 82 game season with prima donna players you didn't choose is a whole lot different than 35 or so games a season with 18 to 20 year olds you personally recruited. I may be wrong but the odds are overwhelmingly on my side.

Yea but like other posters have stated, Donovan has a inherited a much better team than previous college coaches. Orlando was a playoff team, Pitino, Calipari, and Kruger all had to coach bad teams.

No matter how well he does, its a no lose situation for Donovan. He makes more money in the NBA. If he fails, he'll become the #1 coach for hire in the NCAA.

[STL FANATIC]

Donovan changed his mind.

Working with both sides to get out of the deal and to get back to Gainesville.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6883162

[nyk]

Donovan may be in talks with Florida about return

Billy Donovan informed the Magic and the University of Florida over the weekend that he had second thoughts about agreeing to be Orlando's head coach, but it's unclear if the NBA team will let him go.

Orlando has a signed contract from Donovan and are making a decision as to whether or not to let him out of the five-year, $27.5 million deal that he signed Thursday, multiple sources told ESPN.com Sunday.

If the Magic do let Donovan out of the deal, they have to decide whether to enforce a financial penalty. Both sides aren't talking publicly since there are legal issues involved in such a decision.

Donovan's hiring on Thursday prompted the sale of 200 Magic season tickets by Friday afternoon. Magic communications director Joel Glass confirmed that number after Friday's news conference introducing Donovan to a standing ovation from the entire on-site Magic organization at the RDV Sportsplex in Orlando. Losing Donovan as coach would likely be a public relations hit to a franchise that needed a pop.

Donovan is coming off winning back-to-back national titles at Florida, the first time that has occurred since Duke did it in 1991-92. Donovan, who turned 42 Wednesday, agonized over the decision to accept the Magic offer after first being approached last week.

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley flew to Richmond, Va., on Saturday to meet with Donovan's former assistant, VCU head coach Anthony Grant, about the opening. But multiple sources confirmed that the plane was on the ground for less than an hour. Foley left without Grant aboard.

Over the weekend, multiple sources said Grant was the top choice but that both he and Donovan wanted to make sure that all of their respective staffs were taken care of before any move was made.

Multiple sources said that the decision now rests in the hands of the Magic. A final decision is due by Monday.

On Friday, Donovan was emphatic about why he ultimately made the choice. He said that he wanted a new challenge and saw the proximity to his home in Gainesville and the young stars on the Magic roster like Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson as well as $10-13 million in salary cap space as a primary reason for jumping at this job.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

[NJTank]

Well this is certainly a pickle

[otherwilds]

So he turns down the Kentucky offer but agrees to a new deal at Florida. BUT does not seem to ever get around to actually signing the contract extension leaving the door open for him to take up the Magic on their offer. Accepts the deal from Orlando has the press conference and two days later changes mind and magically has not singed the contract leaving his status in limbo.

The moral to the story kids if you really want to keep the coach you just hired MAKE HIM SIGN THE DAMN CONTRACT! I think the fault lies with Foley for not gettin Donovan's signature in the old dotted line after he flirted with Kentucky. Rumors floated around at that time that if he spurned the Wildcats and won another title he was going to jump to the NBA.

So whats it gonna be "Come Back Billy" or "Later, Gator"???

[STL FANATIC]

Donovan HAS signed the contract with the Magic. It's up to them whether he gets out of it or not.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Donovan's a chump, and if Florida takes him back, they're bigger chumps. When you get dumped, you should never take that remorseful, I-still-love-you BS. Donovan cheated on UF and now they both have to be adults and face the consequences.

[STL FANATIC]

Donovan's a chump, and if Florida takes him back, they're bigger chumps. When you get dumped, you should never take that remorseful, I-still-love-you BS. Donovan cheated on UF and now they both have to be adults and face the consequences.

I'd probably agree if he had done it with Kentucky or another college job. But with an NBA job I don't necessarily agree.

Well...he's a chump either way. Just not sure I'd be mad at UF for taking him back.

I think he oughta honor his contract with Orlando myself.

[HatManTC]

wonder what made him want to change his mind? are they not giving him total control over players? i say let him leave if he doesnt want to be there. but make him pay the penalty for breaking his contract. dont let him just walk, it will start a trend later on down the line.

[infrared41]

wonder what made him want to change his mind?

Probably the idea of going 38-44 every year, having to deal with a GM, players making 3 times what he makes, playing to half empty arenas and being just another NBA coach. He has a great gig at Florida and he knows it. Billy Donovan can go down in history as a great college coach, right up there with Coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Boeheim etc. Maybe in the end that meant more than being another college coach who goes on to become an at best mediocre NBA coach. It was a bad move and everyone knew it. Luckily for himself and The Magic, Billy Donovan figured that out before it was too late. No harm was done here. Give the guy a break, in the end he followed his conscience instead of chasing the money. Both parties may be a little embarassed but nobody died or anything. It's just a job.

[TFoA]

He probably had a moment to look back on his previous position, then realized "...OMG, what I had was almost next to perfect." That, and the sense of security compared to that of the NBA, where you could be coach of the year and still not be sure if you will have that same job next year, probably made him go back. That's just my opinion though, it's not like I can read his mind.

[DEAD!]

I just read on SI.com that the Magic are looking to Van Gundy.... Stan that is....

so Donovan has magically disappeared....

[leedsunited]

wonder what made him want to change his mind?

Probably the idea of going 38-44 every year, having to deal with a GM, players making 3 times what he makes, playing to half empty arenas and being just another NBA coach. He has a great gig at Florida and he knows it. Billy Donovan can go down in history as a great college coach, right up there with Coach K, Bob Knight, Jim Boeheim etc. Maybe in the end that meant more than being another college coach who goes on to become an at best mediocre NBA coach. It was a bad move and everyone knew it. Luckily for himself and The Magic, Billy Donovan figured that out before it was too late. No harm was done here. Give the guy a break, in the end he followed his conscience instead of chasing the money. Both parties may be a little embarassed but nobody died or anything. It's just a job.

Nice, what about one of his players that sign an LOI, and then have a change of heart? No easy out for them, is there?

Point is, the guy signed a contract. He should have thought of all of this before putting pen to paper. And UF was so damn important to him, why entertain the Magic's entreaties at all? Why not have signed the new Florida contract already. According to all reports, it's been "ready for weeks".

What a flake. Man up and honor your contract YOU SIGNED.