William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is the current head coach for Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously spent 19 seasons at the University of Florida, where the Florida Gators team won the NCAA back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. Donovan has more wins than any other coach in the history of the Florida basketball program, and he trains the Gators for appearances NCAA tournaments, NCAA tournament wins, and Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships from all other Florida coaches combined.
Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Center on Long Island, New York. As a starting point guard for Providence Rick Pitino team, Donovan led Friars to the 1987 Final Four. Thus, he was one of only four people (Dean Smith, Joe B. Hall and Bobby Knight to be the other) to perform at the NCAA Final Four as a player and won the NCAA national championship as coach.
Prior to his tenure in Florida, Donovan spent most of the 1987-88 season as a reserve guard for the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks, which at the time was coached by his coach, Rick Pitino. After leaving the NBA and working briefly as a Wall Street stockbroker, Donovan attended Pitino to the University of Kentucky, where he served as assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball from 1989 to 1993. He accepted his first head training position at Marshall. University in 1994 and led Herd Thunder to a 35-20 record for two seasons.
Donovan was hired to revive the Florida basketball program in 1996. After two losing seasons as he rebuilt the roster via incessant recruitment, Donovan Gators began a series of sixteen seasons of 20 consecutive wins, a period that included several conference championships , four Final Four appearances, two NCAA championships, and three SEC coaches from this year's awards.
During Donovan's time in Florida, he is often rumored to be a candidate for various NCAA and NBA coaching positions. In June 2007, after leading the Gators to a second national title in a row, he accepted an offer to become head coach of the Orlando Magic NBA. However, he soon had second thoughts, and after a week, he persuaded the Magic to free him of his recently signed contract and allowed him to return to Florida, where he stayed for eight more seasons.
In April 2015, Donovan agreed to become Oklahoma City's NBA Thunder head coach.
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Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Center on Long Island, New York with a sister by his parents, Bill Donovan Sr. and Joan Donovan. Bill Donovan Sr is the third highest scorer in the history of the Boston College Eagles basketball program, and he sometimes trains his only men's basketball team while working in the textile industry. Billy Donovan Jr. attending St. Agnes Cathedral High School in Rockville Center, where she played basketball under coach Frank Morris. Donovan is described as a "gym rat" who will play basketball as often as possible, even sneaking into his high school gymnasium late at night to practice. With Donovan starting at point guard, St. Agnes won the Long Island Catholic High School Championships during her senior year.
Maps Billy Donovan
Play career
Providence College
After graduation, Donovan received an athletic scholarship to Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He was not a starter for his first two seasons with Providence Friars' men's basketball team and averaged two points per game as a freshman and three as a second year student. When New York Knicks Rick Pitino's assistant coach became Providence's new head coach in 1985, Donovan told him that he wanted to move to Fairfield or Northeastern to get more playing time. However, when Pitino calls coaches from smaller conference schools on behalf of Donovan, they refuse to offer him a scholarship, so Pitino advises Donovan to stay at Providence and get himself into a better physical shape for the upcoming season.
Donovan thrived in the Pitino system, which emphasized new three-point shots on fast-paced and full-fledged court press defense. "Billy the Kid," as Providence fans soon dubbed him (after the 19th century villain), averaged 15.1 points as junior and 20.6 as a senior, as he led the 6th seed Friars to the 1987 Finals Four and grabbed Southeast Region Most Valuable Player Award. Donovan is also named for the 1987 All-Big East main team, the 1987 East All-Tournament Team, and is an honorable All-American title. Pitino then said, "I have never in my life, anyone who works hard to improve it (Donovan)."
Professional career
Donovan was designed by Utah Jazz in the third round (overall 68) of the 1987 NBA Draft, but was released before the regular season began. He signed with the Wyoming Wildcatters of the Continental Basketball Association, hoping for another chance to play in the NBA. Rick Pitino left Providence after the Final Four run team and returned to New York as head coach of the New York Knicks. In December 1987, Donovan reunited with his college coach when the Knicks signed a one-year contract. He served as reserve guard for the rest of the 1987-88 season and averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 assists over 44 matches.
Knicks released Donovan in March 1988. He did not make NBA lists during the 1988-89 preseason, so he returned to the CBA, averaging 10.1 points per game with Rapid City Thrillers.
Before training
Donovan has not received another NBA offer by the end of 1988 and came to the conclusion that he does not have a long-term future as a professional basketball player. He left the CBA in January 1989 and took a job at a Wall Street investment banking firm. Donovan was "miserable" during his short stint as a stockbroker, and he especially hated the selling of cold stocks demanded. After just a few weeks at the company, he called Rick Pitino for advice on becoming a basketball coach. Donovan is not a vocal leader as a player, and Pitino doubts whether he has the necessary communication skills for coaching, so he suggests Donovan give more chances to the financial sector before rushing to change careers.
Donovan called Pitino again in April 1989 to reaffirm his interest in coaching basketball. At the time, Pitino was in the process of leaving the Knicks to become head coach at the University of Kentucky, and he agreed to bring Donovan as a graduate assistant to see if he had a future in training.
Academy coaching career
assistant Kentucky (1989-94)
Pitino was assigned to rebuild the Kentucky basketball program that had been destroyed by sanctions imposed by the NCAA for violation of previous rules. Wildcats quickly re-established at the national level, and Donovan's coaching career is also growing rapidly. After a season as a graduate assistant, he was promoted to assistant coach in 1990 and to associate head coaches in 1992. In that position, Donovan served as Pitino's top assistant during Kentucky at the 1993 Final Four, and he helped recruit members of the UK National championship Team 1996.
Marshall University (1994-96)
Donovan's association with Kentucky's success plus Pitino's recommendation earned him an offer to become head basketball coach at Marshall University, where Her Thundering Herd had fought for a 9-18 record during the 1993-94 season. Donovan accepted the offer, making him (at 28 years old) the youngest basketball head coach at NCAA Division I.
At Marshall, Donovan installed a fast defense and defense scheme employed by Pitino. The earlier matches of the scheduled season pitted Marshall against Kentucky in December 1994. Before the game, Pitino advised his protege to "try whipping Kentucky's ass, because we will try to do the same to you." Though he was received warmly by the Rupp Arena crowd, Donovan's team did not feel welcomed, losing 116-75. The rest of the season is more successful. The first Marshall squad Donovan doubled his total win from a year earlier, earning an 18-9 record and winning the Southern Conference North Division title when Donovan was named the Southern Conference Coach of 1995. In Donovan's second season, 1995-96, the team went 17-11 and led the Conference South in scoring goals and three field goals. Donovan was also successful on the recruitment track, convincing the nationally-sought preparation star Jason Williams to refuse the scholarship offer from a more established and permanent program in the state to attend Marshall. Williams will then follow Donovan to Florida.
Overall, the team Marshall Donovan set a 35-20 record for two seasons.
University of Florida (1996-2015)
In March 1996, University of Florida basketball coach Lon Kruger resigned to take a similar position at the University of Illinois. The Florida basketball program was just a glimpse of its history, and although the Gators reached their first Final Four under Kruger in 1994, the team returned to mediocre levels. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley sought out a young, energetic and enthusiastic coach to bring success, and after extensive searches he decided that 30-year-old Billy Donovan was the best fit. To convince Donovan that he would be given enough time to build the program, Foley offered him a six-year contract.
With several talented players on the list, Donovan's first two teams have 13-17 and 15-16 records. However, there were some signs of improvement, as the 1997-98 team was invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and Donovan's "non-stop" recruitment during this period became the foundation for future success.
Donovan finally brought lasting success to the Florida basketball program during the 1998-99 season. The Gators went 22-9, earning 20 victories for only the fifth time in history and starting a 16-season winning streak of 20 wins in a row. The Gators continued to play well in 1999 postseason, as they made their third NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance and became the second squad in school history to appear in the last top 25 poll (No. 17 on ESPN/USA Today Poll and No 23 in Poll Associated Press).
The 1999-2000 season saw Donovan lead the Gators for their first regular SEC Championship season and their second NCAA Final Four appearance, beating North Carolina in the national semifinals before falling to Michigan State in the NCAA championship game.
Gators again won the regular SEC championship season during the 2000-01 season, and on 3 February 2003, the team reached No. 2. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll for the first time in school history, returns there as follows. season on December 8, 2003. The 2004-05 season highlighted by Florida beat Kentucky 70-53 to win the SEC Tournament Championship, the first time the Gators won the conference tournament.
While successful during the regular season, Donovan's Florida troops from 2001 to 2005 consistently played poorly in the NCAA tournament, losing to seeded teams in the first or second round every year despite the list of players with highly recruited players. Still in his thirties, some commentators speculate that Donovan is an excellent recruiter who can not make in-game adjustments or develop talented players once they are on UF campus.
Back-to-back national championship
In the 2005-06 season, Gator squad leader Donovan's team posted the club's best winning streak to start the season, winning 17 consecutive wins and reaching No. 2 in the state of the AP Poll. However, the team failed to reach the top spot as they lost their first SEC game of the season to Tennessee Volunteers. This loss was followed by a surprise season sweep at the hands of the 2006 National Invitee Championship winner, South Carolina Gamecocks as Florida set a 10-6 conference record, good for second place in the East Division of the SEC.
Young Donator's youth squad will come together in the postseason. Florida reached the SEC Tournament championship and avenged their shocking regular season defeat by beating South Carolina in the final, earning a second conference tournament title of the school. At the 2006 NCAA tournament, the third Gator finally reached Sweet 16 and beyond. They beat Villanova (who had beaten them in previous season's tournament) to reach the Final Four, and in the championship game, they defeated UCLA 73-57 to win the first NCAA basketball title school.
During the post-championship celebration at O'Connell Center, the entire Gators' starting section (Lee Humphrey, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green) announced that they would return the following year and try to win another championship -to-back was 1991 and 1992 Duke) instead of declaring the start for the NBA draft. Thus, the Gators are given pre-season favorite names to be repeated by many media experts. Gators ran out of the gate, losing just two non-conference matches (vs Kansas and at Florida State). On December 20, 2006, Donovan became the most qualified basketball coach in Florida history, grabbing the 236th win to surpass Norm Sloan's total. The Gator 2007 looks even more mature in terms of their selfless abilities, passing and shooting and overall team play. Although the Gators played down the stretch during the SEC play, losing three of the four games started with a defeat at Vanderbilt, the team rebounded with a sixth straight win over archirles, Kentucky Wildcats, to regain momentum and claim the SEC regular season championship. The Gators then repeat as SEC champions Tournaments with a dominating performance that culminated in a victory over Razorback Arkansas in the final.
Florida earned the number one seed overall in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and beat Jackson State, Purdue, Butler and Oregon to reach the Final Four. The semi-final was a rematch of the 2006 game title against UCLA, and Donovan's Gators won 76-66. Gators secured their rehab championship two nights later with an emphatic 84-75 victory over Ohio State Buckeyes, coached by Thad Matta. With the Florida Gators football who won the 2007 BCS National Championship (also above Ohio State) three months earlier, the University of Florida became the first school in NCAA history to hold a national soccer and basketball championship at the same time.
Donovan's first decade in Gainesville brought a new level of success to the University of Florida basketball program. The Gator were invited to the NCAA Tournament in each season between 1999 and 2007 (nine consecutive appearances), reaching three national championship games, and winning two NCAA titles. In contrast, the Florida basketball squad only appeared in five NCAA Tournaments in 81 years of play before Donovan's arrival and had never reached an NCAA championship game. In a play conference, Florida has captured just one regular SEC championship and never won a conference tournament before Donovan's arrival. From 1996 to 2007, the Gators won three regular SEC season titles and three SEC tournament titles.
After announcing his comeback to Gainesville, Donovan signed the 2007 top-rated recruitment class, as assessed by Rivals.com.
Despite losing all five starters from the previous year, the Gators shocked many experts with Donovan's tenth season win. However, after a 18-3 start, the team struggled for the final third of the season, winning just three of its last eleven games and breaking the nine-year NCAA Tournament Gators tournament. Young Gator's team rebounded to reach the semi-finals of the National Invite Tournament 2008 (NIT) before falling to UMass Minutemen.
The Gators 2008-09 started the season with No. 1 ranking. 19 and 5-0 before falling to Syracuse. Two weeks later losses to Florida State Seminoles put the Gators out of the top twenty-five teams. Although the team won twenty-two regular season games, again it was not enough to get an offer to the NCAA tournament. However, Gators were given the number one seed at NIT 2009, where they lost to Penn State Nittany Lions in the quarterfinals.
The Gators returned to the NCAA tournament during the 2009-10 season, but lost in the first round to BYU Cougars in double overtime. During the season, Florida defeated Florida State, ending three consecutive defeats to the Seminoles. They also beat Michigan State, a pre-season favorite to win the NCAA tournament and finally the Final Four team, en route to win the Classic Legends Classic tournament.
With three senior starters returning, Gators 2010-11 posted a better record. They won the regular season SEC title, and became runner-up in the 2011 SEC Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament 2011, Gators beat BYU Cougars led by Jimmer Fredette, before losing in overtime to the Butler Bulldog on Elite Eight.
On March 8, 2011, Donovan was appointed SEC Coach of 2011. Despite appearing in three national game titles and winning two national titles, it was the first time Donovan had won the award. Gators forward Chandler Parsons also became the first Gator to ever win the SEC Player of the Year award.
The 2011-12 Gators are again invited to the NCAA Tournament, this time as the 7th seed. They beat the tenth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers and the Norfolk Islands (the fifth seed), who overcame second-seeded Missouri to advance to Sweet Sixteen, then beat Marquette 68-58 to return to Elite Eight for the second year in a row. In the Eight Eight, Donovan and Gators face against Louisville and former Donovan coach Rick Pitino. Gators fell in a very close match, 72-68.
Donovan recorded his 400th career victory at the University of Florida on January 19, 2013 with a 83-52 win over the Missouri Tigers. The Gators won the regular season championship of SEC 2013 (regular season 5 fifth regular Donovan championship), finished as runners-up in the 2013 SEC Tournament (losing out to Ole Miss in the championship game), and progressed to third consecutive Elite Eight (defeating Northwestern State at second half, Minnesota in the third round, and Florida Gulf Coast at Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Michigan in the regional finals).
2013-14
The Donovan Squad 2013-14 starts the year with some injured or suspended players and faces one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in college basketball. Florida dropped two matches near the road to the ranking team and entered the conference section of their schedule with a record of 11-2 and No. 2 national rankings. 10. The Gators will not lose again during the regular season, becoming the first team in SEC history to finish with an 18-0 conference record while also setting many school records. Florida then won the SEC 2014 Men's Basketball Tournament to run their overall record against the SEC opponents to 21-0.
The SEC regular season championship is the third in four seasons for Donovan Gators, and their conference tournament championship is the fourth in school history, all coming under Donovan. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the third time, and his players won many individual conference awards. Scottie Wilbekin's senior point guard was crowned Southeastern Men's Basketball Player of the Year and MVP of the SEC Tournament, senior center for Patric Young crowned Defensive Player and Best Scholar of the Year, junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith named Sixth Person of the Year, and senior guard Casey Prather was named for the First Team All-SEC.
Gators got the whole seeds number at the 2014 NCAA tournament, and their winning streak stretches to 30 matches as they reach the Final Four by beating each of their four first tournament opponents by double-digit margins. However, the Gators season ended with the loss of a national semifinal for 7-seed and the eventual national champion of Connecticut Huskies, who had been the last team to defeat Florida in December before.
2014-15
On February 28, 2015, Donovan became the second youngest coach in the history of the NCAA I Division to earn 500 career victories, achieving a 66-49 Gators Florida victory over Tennessee Volunteers. Donovan joined Bob Knight as the only coach to reach 500 wins before the age of 50. However, his Gator squad completed the season with a 16-17 record, ending the winning season of the Gator and a 20-win seasons in 16 years each.
Professional coaching career
Orlando Magic (June 2007)
During the Florida national championship run, rumors abounded that Donovan was considering an offer to become head coach at the University of Kentucky. He then said that, while Britain may have an interest, he "never had official contact with Kentucky." After winning the 2007 national championship, Donovan announced that he had no plans to leave Florida for another college job and was working on a contract extension with UF.
However, by the end of May, the Orlando Magic NBA offered Donovan their head coach job to replace Brian Hill, who had been sacked after two successive seasons of losing. Donovan struggled with the decision until June 1, when he agreed to accept the offer of a Magic contract, reportedly worth $ 27.5 million over five years. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley contacted Anthony Grant, Donovan's former assistant head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University at the time, to inquire his interest in replacing Donovan in Florida.
Donovan held an introductory press conference in Orlando on June 1, followed by an emotional farewell press conference in Gainesville on the same day. On the morning of June 2, 2007, Donovan began to change his mind about his decision, and he immediately told Jeremy Foley and the Magic front office that he had changed his mind to leave Florida. After failing to change his mind again, Magic reached an agreement with Donovan to free him from his contract on June 7, making him free to rejoin the Gasket basketball team. As a condition of his release, he reportedly agreed not to train in the NBA for the next five seasons. Donovan issued an apology to all parties involved, and Magic immediately hired Stan Van Gundy.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-present)
On April 30, 2015, Donovan agreed to coach Oklahoma City Thunder, replacing Scott Brooks who previously coached the Thunder for seven seasons.
Basket USA
Donovan has been chosen to be head coach for USA Basketball on three occasions. He coached the U18 2012 team to the FIBA ​​Championship of America U-18 2012, becoming 5-0 at the tournament. He then led many of the same players to the FIBA ​​U-19 World Championships in 2013, going 9-0 at the tournament. The following summer, he again coached the US team at the FIBA ​​Championship of U-18 World 2014 and again led them to the tournament championship with another 5-0 record.
Some commentators have argued that Donovan should replace Mike Krzyzewski as head coach of the US men's national basketball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Awards
The United States Sports Academy awarded Donovan with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2006. Donovan was the recipient of the John R. Wooden Award "Legends of Coaching Award" in 2010. Donovan is recognized by his peers as SEC Coach of the Year in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
Personal life
Donovan married his wife, Christine (nÃÆ' Â © e D'Auria), in 1990. Donovan has four children: Connor, Bryan, Hasbrouck and William Donavan III, who moved to Florida from the Catholic University and walked to his father's team as reserve guard. The fifth child, Jacqueline, was born in 2000, encouraging Donovan to engage in several children's charities and to help raise funds for a children's hospital in Gainesville. A similar tragedy struck the Donovan family of teachers, Rick Pitino, former assistant coach Anthony Grant, and current assistant John Pelphrey, who forged closer ties between them.
Donovan's parents bought a house in Gainesville in 1996, and Bill Donovan Sr., has become the most frequent place in Game games and Gator practices.
Donovan is a Roman Catholic. He has been described as politically conservative by some of his players and in the media; However, he is independently listed.
Philanthropy
In October 2008, Donovan's coach and Florida Gators Urban Meyer football coach was subsequently appointed as joint chairman of an effort to raise $ 50 million to support the Florida Opportunity Opportunity Program. The Florida Opportunity Opportunity Program was created by University of Florida President Bernie Machen in 2006, and is intended to enhance opportunities for first-generation academically prepared students who experience different needs and financial challenges.
Donovan was instrumental in fundraising and encouraging the development of a Catholic high school in Gainesville, which did not have a Catholic high school when Donovan arrived at the University of Florida in 1996. Francis High School opened in 2004 and expanded in 2008 with much help from Donovan; his children are studying in school.
Head coaching record
Higher Education
NBA
See also
- Florida Gators
- The History of the University of Florida
- List of Final Four NCAA Division I Son performances by coach
- List of people Lecture Providence
- Marshall Thundering Herd
- Providence Friars
- The University Athletic Association
References
External links
- Billy Donovan's website at the University of Florida athletic site
- Billy Donovan on BasketballReference.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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