After losing records, most scurried back to the security blanket of college basketball, where, unlike the NBA, coaches are the dominant personalities, not players. A long line of college coaches, including his long-time mentor Rick Pitino, arch-rival John Calipari, former UF coach Lon Kruger, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton and former Seton Hall coach P.J. He returned to UF last month.ĭonovan faces some long odds in making the transition to the NBA. He was fired on March 15 at Alabama after an 18-14 season and missing the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year. Grant was at Florida from 1996-2006 before becoming the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth and Alabama, compiling a 193-110 record. He returned to Florida in 2011 after being fired by the Razorbacks following three consecutive losing seasons in SEC play. Pelphrey was an assistant at Florida for six seasons before becoming the head coach at South Alabama for five years, then at Arkansas for four season. Both were on Donovan's staff when he was at Marshall and came with him to Florida in 1996 when Foley took a chance on the fast-talking 32-year old native of New York.Ī LOOK BACK: Florida Gators' 2006 NCAA Championshipīoth Pelphrey and Grant have head coaching experience. Two leading candidates to replace Donovan are his most loyal assistants, John Pelphrey and Anthony Grant. Billy and Florida basketball have been synonymous for a long time now and our program would not have reached the heights it has without him.'' 'While we are certainly extremely sad to see Billy go, the primary feeling I have is one of gratitude for what he has done here at Florida. That window expired at the end of the 2013 season.įoley was supportive of Donovan's decision this time, saying in a statement: In return for allowing him to get his job back, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley insisted on a five-year window in which Donovan could not seek an NBA job. OKC failed to reach the playoffs this season, despite a lineup that included the last two NBA scoring champions, point guard Russell Westbrook (28.1 points this season) and Kevin Durant (32.0 in 2014).ĭurant played only 27 games this season because of a foot injury.ĭonovan had signed to coach the NBA's Orlando Magic in 2007 but had a change of heart after the deal was announced. Oklahoma City fired Scott Brooks last week after seven seasons and five playoff berths. GENE FRENETTE: Money aside, Gators' Donovan had to chase his NBA dreamĭonovan had signed an extension with UF through 2020 earlier this year and made $4.2 million in his final season, when the Gators struggled to their first losing record (16-17) since his second year in Gainesville. 'I knew that it would take a unique opportunity to leave the University of Florida and that is clearly how I look at this situation,' Donovan said in a statement released through the University Athletic Association communications department.

Florida gators head basketball coach