Florida Basketball Coaching Rumors: Billy Donovan Interested in NBA Job, Will Listen to Offers
ByBilly Donovan is once again at the center of rumored NBA head coaching searches and he is reportedly keeping his ears open to teams who may want to send him an offer.
Unnamed sources told ESPN's Marc Stein there will be pro teams interested in Donovan, who could be more inclined to listen given how his team did this season. Last year, there was similar interest in Donovan from the NBA, but the University of Florida extended his contract with a raise.
That pay bump boosted his salary to $3.9 million for the next four years and $4 million the fifth year, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He also signed a $250,000 signing bonus last Dec., which put his salary past the $4 million threshold for this season.
Per USA Today, the new deal puts Donovan in a class of just a handful of men's college basketball coaches who make at least $4 million per year. But that was coming off a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament and an SEC Title.
This season, Florida went 16-17 and did not gain a bid to the tourney. Stein noted Donovan's buyout is $500,000 if he should leave Florida for an NBA team. Stein may well be correct in thinking teams will call Donovan, but it all depends on the coach's interest.
Rick Pitino, head coach at Louisville and a close friend and mentor to Donovan, said on the ESPN Radio program "Mike and Mike" the Florida coach wants to try coaching at the pro level. Pitino cited Donovan's age as a major advantage, as he could come back to the college game if an NBA tenure does not work out.
"I don't recommend it for college coaches to do that unless they know what it's all about," Pitino said. "I take someone like Billy Donovan. I think Billy has looked at it, I think he has an urge to coach in the NBA - a strong desire to coach in the NBA - and would like to try it, very similar to Brad Stevens, who is doing a wonderful job with the Celtics. I think people like that with that type of personality will do very well."