Billy Donovan
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Donovan in 2014
| |
Oklahoma City Thunder | |
---|---|
Position | Head coach |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | May 30, 1965 Rockville Centre, New York |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Listed weight | 171 lb (78 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Saint Agnes (Rockville Centre, New York) |
College | Providence (1983–1987) |
NBA draft | 1987 / Round: 3 / Pick: 68th overall |
Selected by the Utah Jazz | |
Playing career | 1987–1989 |
Position | Point guard |
Number | 1 |
Coaching career | 1989–present |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1987 | Wyoming Wildcatters |
1987–1988 | New York Knicks |
1988–1989 | Rapid City Thrillers |
As coach: | |
1989–1994 | Kentucky (assistant) |
1994–1996 | Marshall |
1996–2015 | Florida |
2015–present | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
| |
Career statistics | |
Points | 105 (2.4 ppg) |
Assists | 87 (2.0 apg) |
Steals | 16 (0.4 spg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York. As the starting point guard for Rick Pitino's Providence team, Donovan led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. As such, he is one of only four men (Dean Smith, Joe B. Hall and Bobby Knight being the others) to appear in the NCAA Final Four as a player and win the NCAA national championship as a coach.[1]
After college, Donovan spent the 1987–88 and 1988–89 basketball seasons split between the developmental Continental Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks, who were led by his college coach, Rick Pitino. Donovan left professional basketball in 1989, and briefly worked as a Wall Street stock broker before following Pitino to his new job at the University of Kentucky. Donovan served as an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball from 1989 to 1993 under Pitino, working his way from serving as a graduate assistant to Pitino's top assistant. He accepted his first head coaching position at Marshall University in 1994 and led the Thundering Herd to a 35–20 record over two seasons.
Donovan was hired to revive Florida's basketball program in 1996. After two losing seasons while he rebuilt the roster through relentless recruiting, Donovan's Gators began a streak of sixteen straight 20-win seasons, a period which included multiple conference championships, four Final Four appearances, two NCAA championships, and three SEC coach of the year awards.
During Donovan's tenure at Florida, he was often rumored to be a candidate for various NCAA and NBA head coaching positions. In June 2007, after leading the Gators to their second consecutive national title, he accepted an offer to become the head coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic. However, he immediately had second thoughts, and after a week, he persuaded the Magic to release him from his newly signed contract and allow him to return to Florida, where he remained for eight more seasons.[2]
No comments:
Post a Comment