BREAKING: Billy Donovan thundering to Oklahoma City

Billy Donovan has agreed in terms to become the next head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Donovan agreed a five-year contract with the Thunder according to Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports. Donovan has flirted with NBA teams in the past and was even named the Orlando Magic head coach in 2007 but has never coached a game in the NBA.

Donovan spent the past 19 years in Gainesville, building the Florida Gators basketball program into one of the elite brands in the country. Donovan took the Gators’ programs to heights that maybe only he and Jeremy Foley could dream of, winning two National Championships and reaching four Final Fours.

Following the back-to-back National Championships, Donovan faced a long rebuild. It took years for Donovan to find, recruit and build the program back to the standard that the “oh four’s” created but he was able to accomplish the feat. With a gritty group of guys, Donovan led the Gators to three consecutive Elite Eight appearances from 2011-13, which included a school record perfect 30-0 record in conference in 2013.

After losing four seniors from that team, the Gators struggled last season. They missed the postseason completely, finishing 16-17, Donovan’s first losing season since 1998.

With his legacy at Florida forever cemented, Donovan finally found the right situation to make him leave. Sure, he believed he had found just that in 2007 when he signed on to be the head coach of the Orlando Magic, but a change of heart led him back to Gainesville.

This time, however, the decision appears to be final. Donovan will take over a team just two years removed from the NBA Finals and a roster that includes two of the top-10 players in the NBA in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The opportunity to coach a team with that type of talent at the NBA level doesn’t come around often. Donovan knew that and he struck while the iron was hot.

Reports say that Donovan will be introduced as the new coach of the Thunder as early as Friday and sources have told Gator Country that Donovan will likely try to bring assistant coach Anthony Grant — who was hired by Donovan in Gainesville after being fired as the head coach at Alabama — with him to Oklahoma City.

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC

1 COMMENT

  1. we knew this day would come. too bad its on the heels of a losing year, but i have said for years and i will say it again, find someone that has had his success coaching at a “non-basketball” school, although Muschamp had his hand in turning that around the last few years…

    going to the Thunder is curious tho. small market team that stands to lose big in 2016 in the new CBA deal that will put more pressure with re-signing the marquee players. furthermore, a system coach that now has to throw a net over Westbrook and keep him under control. he had a chance to go to Cleveland last summer and i am sure he would have jumped at that given everything that has happened there

    all in all, I wish him well and really hope he has success at the next level. whoever comes in here, has bigger shoes to fill than replace Meyer in my opinion…