UNC Basketball Coach Search: Concerns about Billy Donovan (Part One)

Let’s start with this: Billy Donovan is a very good basketball coach. He’s currently a head coach in the NBA, and only 30 of those spots exist. Donovan’s been seated at that exclusive table for over a decade. Prior to that, he won back-back-titles at Florida, in addition to reaching four Final Fours and three title games. Including those Final Four runs, Florida reached the Elite Eight seven times under Donovan. This was all accomplished in 19 seasons between 1996 and 2015. For anyone asking whether Billy Donovan can coach basketball, the answer is an emphatic yes.

So, why are there concerns?

 

In Donovan’s last season, Florida finished 16-17. News reports suggesting burn-out filled that season. Donovan’s interest in the NBA dated back to 2007. Donovan was on record stating the appeal of the NBA to him was it’s “strictly basketball” focus. Articles with anecdotes about the tiresome needs of boosters and recruiting demands joined the fray. Those elements combined to create a narrative: Donovan loved coaching, but he no longer loved coaching in college.

Donovan’s record in the NBA has been underwhelming. He made the conference finals in his first season with the Thunder, but then four straight first round playoff exits brought his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder to an end. Donovan moved to Chicago, where the Bulls have missed the playoffs five times and lost in the first round the one time they qualified. In short, with the exception of that first season, Donovan’s missed the playoffs five times and exited in the first round the other five times. He has not been a resounding success.

So, why does Donovan suddenly want to return to college coaching, at a program where the off-court demands and expectations clearly exceed even those at Florida circa 2015?

An easy answer is that the college game now resembles the NBA. That’s an obvious comparison to make with players getting paid and college programs adding GMs and other “front office” supports. Those same arguments were made in error about Bill Belichick, and they miss some crucial differences.