The Florida Gators have thoroughly ensured their men's basketball coach Billy Donovan is not going anywhere, signing him to an extension that also gave him a raise.
According to ESPN, Donovan signed the deal last month and will earn an average of $3.7 million per year for the six remaining seasons of the contract. Donovan's contract now ends after the 2018-2019 season.
Donovan won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 and is poised to win his third title as a coach. The Gators are the first overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and are heavily favored to at least make the Final Four.
Donovan is one of nine coaches to have won a pair of national titles, but only five have won more than two. Roy Williams and Rick Pitino have each won two titles. Pitino and Louisville are heavy Final Four favorites, but Williams' Tar Heels were just eliminated in the round of 32.
"You know, it's always been, not a dream of Billy's, but a dream of mine to see a court named 'Billy Donovan Court,'" Pitino told ESPN Friday. "I thought it would happen a while ago, to see his name on the court. I still very much want to see that someday because of what he's meant to Gator basketball."
On opposite ends of the bracket, there is a chance we will get to see Pitino and Donovan battle for their third national title to join Jim Calhoun and Bob Knight as three-time champs.
This season alone, the Gators are on a 28 game winning streak and only lost twice this season. They were the first team in the history of the SEC to go 18-0 against the other teams in the conference.
Donovan's new deal also has some bonuses. If he wins the national title, he will make an extra $150,000, plus $100,000 for making the Final Four. If he wins AP coach of the year, he earns another $50,000. He has already earned $225,000 for various accomplishments such as winning the SEC regular season title, the conference tournament, SEC coach of the year and for the Gators finishing the season ranked number one overall.
