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Post by Suckasays on May 31, 2007 18:54:14 GMT -5
from msn.com
The day after his 42nd birthday, Billy Donovan received quite a gift: An offer to become the head coach of the Orlando Magic.
According to a pair of sources close to the situation, the Magic offered Donovan a five-year deal worth $28 million Wednesday night. Donovan agreed to accept the offer late Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press reported. A news conference is scheduled for Friday morning to officially announce the hiring. Calls to Donovan were not immediately returned.
The leading candidate to replace Donovan is former Florida assistant coach Anthony Grant, who in his first season at Virginina Commonwealth, led the Rams to a first-round upset over Duke in the NCAA tournament.
If Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley does opt to go with Grant, it's likely that the top recruits Nick Calathes and Chandler Parsons will honor their committments to Florida. However, point guard Jai Lucas, the son of former NBA coach and player John Lucas, could opt to go elsewhere now that Donovan is leaving. Kentucky is considered an option for Lucas.
Donovan is coming off back-to-back national titles with the Gators and was set to sign a lucrative, long-term extension at some point in the next couple weeks.
He had lost nearly his entire team after Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green all decided to go pro and sign with agents. Seniors Lee Humphrey and Chris Richard also graduated.
Shortly after winning the second national title in April, Donovan spurned interest from Kentucky to remain in Gainesville.
However, Donovan has never denied the fact that he would be interested in coaching in the NBA. He recently told FOXSports.com that he was happy at Florida and would only leave for an ideal situation.
The job in Orlando could be ideal since it's nearby — and the Magic have one of the best young stars in the game in big man Dwight Howard. Orlando will also have some salary cap relief as Grant Hill's contract expires this season.
That's a lot of money. Can't say I blame him one bit.
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Post by nyk9327 on May 31, 2007 18:59:09 GMT -5
Orlando is probably in the best shape now of any team in the NBA who is not a contender.
Grant Hill will be off the books next year. Dwight Howard is your future. And now you have a coach who is ready to break out in the pro level with some young players.
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Post by Suckasays on May 31, 2007 19:00:04 GMT -5
It was truly a pretty good move for Donovan. I mean...huge pay raise...and he can stay right where he lives now. Can't beat that.
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Post by A-Mac on May 31, 2007 22:09:37 GMT -5
I'm speechless. Me -->
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Post by layzie on May 31, 2007 22:12:02 GMT -5
^ you guys are long overdue to get ed over
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Post by Suckasays on May 31, 2007 22:14:40 GMT -5
It really leaves Florida in a mess when it comes to picking a coach and stuff. The coaching carousel has all but stopped and everyone is in place. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Looks like they are going to go with Anthony Grant.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on May 31, 2007 22:15:18 GMT -5
I think Donovan is gonna have a rough year, that roster is bare, Howard is a beast but then you got an older Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson.....and thats it.
They need to do something in FA, or else Donovan is gonna regret leaving Florida, even though it was the kids who made him great, not the other way around
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Post by T R W on May 31, 2007 22:16:48 GMT -5
lol @ the guy at work who said he would never leave because Florida is the premier job in college basketball. lol
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Post by Suckasays on May 31, 2007 22:19:56 GMT -5
The landscape of college basketball is going to feel quite different next year.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on May 31, 2007 22:57:29 GMT -5
Premier jobs in college basketball:
UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke, UCLA, UConn Georgetown, Florida, Texas are 2nd tier types
Im forgetting some, but the top 6 are right.
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krush
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2001 18:53:41 GMT -5
Posts: 4,767
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Post by krush on May 31, 2007 23:53:27 GMT -5
Premier jobs in college basketball: UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke, UCLA, UConn Georgetown, Florida, Texas are 2nd tier types Im forgetting some, but the top 6 are right. You got the first five right. UConn has only been relevant for less than ten years and have only been to two final fours. If you're talking basic basketball tradition, the top six would be the first five you mentioned and Indiana. If you're talking recent success, then it would be something like Florida, UNC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, UConn and maybe a team like Michigan State. and Texas is not exactly a top tier job.
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krush
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2001 18:53:41 GMT -5
Posts: 4,767
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Post by krush on May 31, 2007 23:57:18 GMT -5
Either way Donovan is one of the most overrated coaches ever. It was less than two years ago when Donovan's teams crapped out early in every single tournament because of his terrible in-game coaching, sans a miracle run to the title game in 2000. Like Ralpho already said he got lucky when Lee, Roberson and Walsh all left early and he had five guys with great chemistry with each other carry him to two titles. He is an average coach and certainly won't be much better than Calipari was, maybe not even Pitino.
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Post by cooga99 on May 31, 2007 23:58:59 GMT -5
This is bad news for Billy Donovan (as i dont think he will cut it in the NBA, not because hes a bad coach but because hes with the magic) and its great news for Bruce Pearl and the UT Vols...Now maybe we can win the SEC
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Post by Suckasays on Jun 1, 2007 0:01:07 GMT -5
I personally think Tennesee is a dead lock to win the SEC next year anyway. Whether Donovan left Florida or not. I'll be suprised if they don't.
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Post by A-Mac on Jun 1, 2007 7:31:20 GMT -5
Like Ralpho already said he got lucky when Lee, Roberson and Walsh all left early and he had five guys with great chemistry with each other carry him to two titles. The thing that the die hard UF fans loved about him was the off-the-court Billy D. Billy realized that his players all had different mind sets and attitudes and the team was not really a team which led to early exits from the tournament (as was previously mentioned). When the 04s came in Billy did his best to make the team into a family putting strict rules how often the players had to hang out with each other (two types of time: team time and small group time). The 04s became close because of this and also the fact that they all lived with each other. Since these policies weren't in place till they came Lee, Walsh, and Roberson already had their egos and didn't care about unity (Humphrey was just lost in the shuffle). What a lot of people don't know is that Walsh and Roberson used to get in fights with the 04s when they'd do practice games which was the final straw for the and they left. When the new guys came in Billy had the 04s be like older brothers to them which helped with the unity aspect. Yeah I know all that wasn't probably neccessary but I just wanted to show that he is a college coach...in the NBA you can't do stuff like that effectively...and as earlier mentioned his on-the-court coaching isn't anything spectacular. I'd like him to succeed but I know it won't happen, he's just not cut out for the NBA.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Jun 1, 2007 7:59:10 GMT -5
If he was such a great guy, why are you hoping hes screwed and telling him to essentially himself? Essentially when you will be outta the school in a few years.
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Post by A-Mac on Jun 1, 2007 8:15:04 GMT -5
If he was such a great guy, why are you hoping hes screwed and telling him to essentially himself? Because I'm mad he left. Billy D made basketball here fun: there is no place I'd rather be than at the O'dome watching the Gators play basketball...I have a million memories of camping out, cheering at games, etc. Hell, the man has served us breakfast for weekend games and would buy pizza for us during Kentucky week. Now I know that he doesn't owe the Florida fans anything and that its his life and he can do whatever he wants with it and that I shouldn't be able to bad mouth it but when he addressed the Kentucky rumors he said there is no place he'd rather be than Florida and than he called UF his home. When news of the Magic deal came about we felt like we got stabbed in the back because he kept telling everyone after the second championship that he would stay. If he wouldn't have lied then I wouldn't be pissed and I'd just be glad for all that he gave us...but he lied and told us all not to worry because this was his home...and that was bullcrap right to our faces.
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Post by Dictator of Karma: Juggernaut on Jun 1, 2007 8:21:13 GMT -5
Am I the only one happy with this decision. Hopefully Redick could get some better playing time. Plus the Magic are a young and upcoming team. They have the ability to make it to the playoffs again and hopefully to the second round. It's a young team, they will be great in the years to come.
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Post by Suckasays on Jun 1, 2007 8:44:50 GMT -5
I can somewhat sympathize with the Florida fans on this one. It was the same way for KY fans when Pitino left. But it seems MOST (and I stress most) people have gotten over it over the years and Pitino is well respected by KY fans. I just hope for Florida fans sake that when Donovan comes crawling back to the college ranks in a few years that he doesn't choose to go to his formers teams biggest in-state rival like Pitino did This is really going to hurt the Florida basketball program in my opinion. It also sucks for the SEC. Here's more fallout from the Billy Donovan situation... Lucas Reconsidering College Choice
After saying no to Kentucky and the Memphis Grizzlies, Billy Donovan is apparently set to leave the Florida Gators for the Orlando Magic.
Reports are that the deal could be worth $27.5 million dollars over five years. That would more than double his current offer from Florida.
Orlando recently fired Brian Hill. Spokesmen for the Magic have scheduled a press conference tomorrow morning at 11 am for the announcement. The magic made the playoffs this past year but got swept in the first round.
As for Jai Lucas, the player who chose Florida over Kentucky this spring, he's mulling whether to seek a release from his letter of intent. His father, John, in an interview with KHOU-TV in Houston, said Thursday night that the family is rethinking Jai's decision to become a Gator.
John Lucas went on to say they're confident Florida will release jai from his letter of intent, if he wants to go elsewhere.
John specifically mentioned Kentucky as an option they may like to explore.
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Post by Jean-Ralphio on Jun 1, 2007 11:44:25 GMT -5
Pitinos downfall was that he was the President and GM, if Donovan just coaches he should be ok.
Its just sour grapes, no one like their coach leaving, but this was rumored for awhile, the man brought a school 2 titles, no need to piss on the guy for taken a HUGE offer on a decent team in a horrible conference.
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