End of an era: Donovan leaves behind legacy of champions, class, humility
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Holding out hope was only natural, especially given what happened the last time.
The ties that bound orange and blue icon Billy Donovan to the University of Florida were that strong.
Over the years, he dared to build a program at a place that was a basketball wasteland upon his arrival and along the way stared down the biggest powerhouses in the country. UF basketball was his, as was the community, where his family -- wife Christine, their four children, plus both his parents -- had laid down deep roots. The confluence of it all made Donovan flip a U-turn from the Orlando Magic back to Gainesville when he last scratched his NBA itch back in 2007.
Eight years later, it was going to be hard again, but this time it was the right time; the right situation. Perfect, actually.
The lure of The League and the notion of focusing on all basketball all the time (without recruiting) proved too much for Donovan to pass up. If not now, at 49 years old and with nothing left to prove at this level, then when?
Did Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have something to do with it? Perhaps, but not as much as you may think.
Certainly not as much as Sam Presti did.
The Oklahoma City Thunder general manager did his homework on this one. Known for being a meticulous, attention-to-detail executive, Presti had every answer to the 1,000-question test Donovan put to him over the last three days. Presti painted the exact vision Donovan needed to see and, one by one, the coach ticked the boxes.
THE CHECKLIST:
-- Donovan needed to know they wanted him for what he brought to the table. He couldn't be one of a few in a process. Indeed, Presti was well attuned to the Donovan culture. He spent time observing UF practices the last few seasons and hired a pair of former Donovan staffers -- Mark Daigneault and Oliver Winterbone -- last summer as the Thunder's D-League head coach and analytics maven, respectively. Presti was convinced the Donovan culture was one that would work for the Thunder. Having two former confidants already in place likely made the prospect of transition easier for Donovan.
-- The person making the basketball decisions, in this case Presti, had to be in harmony with the owner. That would be Clayton "Ike" Bennett, once a part owner of the San Antonio Spurs, one of the finest organizations in professional sports. Presti grew from intern to executive with the Spurs before being hired in 2000 by Bennett, who then owned the Seattle Supersonics and eventually relocated the franchise to OKC in 2008.
-- Donovan needed to believe the team had a chance to win or a vision for winning in the coming seasons. The Thunder, if Durant returns to health, will challenge for the NBA title next season, but he'll also be a free agent after next season. Ditto Westbrook following 2016-2017. Presti convinced Donovan that the Thunder, even if they were to lose those two superstars, will still be an attractive franchise for players in the future. Oklahoma City, you ask? A destination professional sports franchise? Yes, no different than San Antonio is now.
-- Finally, the commitment to Donovan needed to be longterm and substantial. Presumably, a five-year lucrative contract.
So with that, after nearly two decades, 467 victories, 14 NCAA tournament berths, six Southeastern Conference titles, four Final Fours and two national championships, Billy Donovan leaves as the greatest and most beloved coach in Florida history; arguably the greatest collegiate coach in state-of-Florida history, given what he forged from the next-to-nothing situation he inherited.
And yet that's only half of the legacy "Billy D" leaves behind.
People who have known Donovan since his "Billy the Kid" playing days at Providence will tell you he's the same person he was nearly 30 years ago. Fame hasn't changed him. In 21 years as a head coach (the last 19 at UF), he's managed to find the right balance to accommodate basketball, family, friendships and faith, doing so with an incredible humility and genuineness rarely seen in those who reach such status in their professions.
Think about this: Since 1963, just three college basketball coaches have won back-to-back national championships. The first was named Wooden. The second was named Krzyzewski. Donovan was the third.
As Donovan ascended to sure-fire Hall of Fame status -- in February, he joined Bobby Knight as just the second Division I coach to win 500 games before his 50th birthday -- the class, dignity and grace (whether in victory or defeat) he displayed was never tarnished by scandal, be it NCAA or otherwise. He did it the right way, sometimes by signing blue blood recruits (Mike Miller, David Lee, Corey Brewer, Bradley Beal) or finding raw, hungry guys (Matt Bonner, Joakim Noah, Chandler Parsons, Scottie Wilbekin) and developing them into thoroughbreds.
On the way out, Donovan will heap heavy praise on UF athletic director Jeremy Foley for taking a chance on a 29-year-old head coach in 1996 and thank the Gator Nation and Gainesville community for the adoration and support they threw behind his team and family over the years.
Truth be told, that was easy. Billy Donovan made it so.
Dealing with this? This will be hard. Billy D made that so, too.
Florida basketball will miss his presence.
