Donovan changes mind (title edited) about Orlando

[DaMan]

Could very well be. SVG would prefer to stay in Florida, I'm sure.

SVG really wants to go to Orlando, he was the one who basically threw his name in as contender for head coaching job before hiring Billy. If Donovan does leave I expect SVG, PJ Carlesimo, and Rick Caslies to be in the running for the magic Job.

 

[AleksandarN]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2007/06/is_stan_van_gun.html

Former Miami Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy was the only other coaching candidate the Magic talked to while they were courting Billy Donovan, who, incredibly is doing an about-face on Orlando after taking the job.

Magic President Bob Vander Weide said that he was impressed with Van Gundy.

Van Gundy told me last week before Donovan accepted the Magic job that he would "love to coach" the club, praising Dwight Howard and the city.

He might get his chance now.

Once the Donovan mess is sorted out --- there's virtually no chance the Magic can change his mind --- look for the club to announce his hiring this week.

The only catch: Van Gundy likely was the lead candidate to get the Sacramento Kings' job.

Stay tuned to As The Magic Turn.

 

[Bricklayer]

I think what bothers me the most is the cavalier way that some think they should be let out of a contract. Geez! He just signed the dang thing. Second thoughts should be done before the contract is signed. Once it is signed, it is a binding agreement. It means nothing if the team simply says, "That's okay. Well just get someone else."

Nature of the contract though makes it in the Magic's best interest to let him go. For obvious reasons you simply cannot have a guy who doesn't want to be there as your head coach.

This is a fiasco, but in the end I think the Magic might ahve dodged their own bullet here. Hiring Donovan, for so much money, really did not look to be a basketball move. It was about business/PR. And that was going to be a shame with a young team with all that potential (of course if they do not get that stadium and have to move, this would be regrettable).

As an aside, the new guy will NOT be a Carlisel or JVG type -- the very reason they fired Hill was because they did not like his slow it down bore you offense. they will need somebody who will have a little flair. Its too bad for them Rick is gone, and now Iavaroni too. Didn't Shaw play for them back in the day? Maybe he could be the guy.

 

[BMiller52]

I think SVG wants to come here, he is the lead candidate for our position and he grew up in the area. But man Billy's an idiot, no NBA team is going to hire him now. What a pathetic little moron.

 

[GoGoGadget]

I suspect you're wrong there. The Magic sold TWO HUNDRED season tickets because of the announcement. That's significant. And the people who bought those tickets are not going to forget about this very quickly. I know I wouldn't.

I hope Orlando holds him to the contract - all five years of it. What a bush league performance.

I don't know about that. If I were one of those Orlando fans who ponied up for season tickets based solely on the coaching hire, I'd probably be pissed but would be much happier with a refund than a coach who doesn't want to be there.

 

[Bricklayer]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2007/06/is_stan_van_gun.html

Former Miami Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy was the only other coaching candidate the Magic talked to while they were courting Billy Donovan, who, incredibly is doing an about-face on Orlando after taking the job.

Magic President Bob Vander Weide said that he was impressed with Van Gundy.

Van Gundy told me last week before Donovan accepted the Magic job that he would "love to coach" the club, praising Dwight Howard and the city.

He might get his chance now.

Once the Donovan mess is sorted out --- there's virtually no chance the Magic can change his mind --- look for the club to announce his hiring this week.

The only catch: Van Gundy likely was the lead candidate to get the Sacramento Kings' job.

Stay tuned to As The Magic Turn.

It could very well play out that way, but damn, that sucks.

Our footdragging limping around coaching search is beginning to annoy me now.

 

[AleksandarN]

It could very well play out that way, but damn, that sucks.

Our footdragging limping around coaching search is beginning to annoy me now.

I know i want SVG over Porter anyday. This sucks

 

[ParniValjak]

It could very well play out that way, but damn, that sucks.

Our footdragging limping around coaching search is beginning to annoy me now.

Welcome to my world

I just wish we would hurry up and hire SVG and move forward with looking at potential trades in more details before the draft.

 

[DaMan]

I think SVG wants to come here, he is the lead candidate for our position and he grew up in the area. But man Billy's an idiot, no NBA team is going to hire him now. What a pathetic little moron.

I think that he would rather be in Orlando. The magic are on the rise and have a boat load of talent compared to kings, he currently lives in Florida and won't have to move his family far and he basically said that he wanted to coach in Orlando before the magic hiried Billy.

 

[BMiller52]

I think that he would rather be in Orlando. The magic are on the rise and have a boat load of talent compared to kings, he currently lives in Florida and won't have to move his family far and he basically said that he wanted to coach in Orlando before the magic hiried Billy.

Yeah so? Even when the Magic job was there he was still more interested in the Kings... he's made us his #1 priority since the beginning.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Donovan has really screwed up things all across the board. SVG holds all the cards now in any negotiations with Orlando or Sacramento. Does anyone think that he won't try to get the same (or close) to the $27 million contract offered Donovan? Does anyone think the Maloofs would come close to matching such an offer considering how they were burned and still owe millions to Musselman? I honestly think the chances of the Kings landing SVG just took a nose dive.

 

[DaMan]

Nature of the contract though makes it in the Magic's best interest to let him go. For obvious reasons you simply cannot have a guy who doesn't want to be there as your head coach.

This is a fiasco, but in the end I think the Magic might ahve dodged their own bullet here. Hiring Donovan, for so much money, really did not look to be a basketball move. It was about business/PR. And that was going to be a shame with a young team with all that potential (of course if they do not get that stadium and have to move, this would be regrettable).

As an aside, the new guy will NOT be a Carlisel or JVG type -- the very reason they fired Hill was because they did not like his slow it down bore you offense. they will need somebody who will have a little flair. Its too bad for them Rick is gone, and now Iavaroni too. Didn't Shaw play for them back in the day? Maybe he could be the guy.

Totally agree with you Brick the move was nothing but bussienss, the only basketball move was that he would be able to better relate with the young core of the magic since he was a college coach. Other then that, the magic saw the chance for more money and a new Arena and went after billy.

The magic where really lucky they missed that bullet. If the magic get a coach that focus on winning they will get their arena sooner or later. But to bad they missed out on Rick and Iavaroni because they would be a perfect fit. And Carlise is in the running because he coached J'Oneal and hopefully he could help Dwight and Darko.

 

[DaMan]

Yeah so? Even when the Magic job was there he was still more interested in the Kings... he's made us his #1 priority since the beginning.

The man opeanly came out and all but said he wanted to coach the Magic. Also consider the fact his family lives in florida and has a better shot at winning in Orlando makes the Magic a more atacitive team to coach.

The only thing that I see making SVG say no to the magic is the fact they choose Billy over him.

 

[AleksandarN]

Well thats it then the Kings better call SVG quick and offer him the job.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...lydonovan060307,0,561368.story?coll=orl-magic

The Orlando Magic today will allow Billy Donovan out of his 5-year, $27.5 million contract that he signed on Friday.

"It's over," said a source close to the situation.

Donovan had reservations about leaving the Florida Gators for the NBA on Friday and spent all weekend trying to find a way to get out of his contract. On Saturday, Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith went to Gainesville to try to convince Donovan to honor the deal. Smith talked with Donovan again on Sunday, and so did Magic President Bob Vander Weide.

Unless Donovan wakes up today and changes his mind, the Magic will let him go, the source said.

The Sentinel visited Donovan's house early this morning, and UF assistant basketball coach Larry Shyatt answered the door. He said Donovan would not comment.

"You guys can't talk to him now," Shyatt said.

Messages left with UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley on Sunday were not returned. UF spokesman Fred Demarest said Sunday night that the school would have no comment. Messages left for Magic officials -- Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins and General Manager Otis Smith -- were not returned.

Donovan was hired as Magic head coach Thursday and introduced in his new job Friday, the end of a weeklong Magic courtship. Donovan appeared confident in his decision in news conferences here and in Orlando, but things changed Saturday morning.

Foley flew to Richmond, Va., on Saturday to interview Anthony Grant, the Virginia Commonwealth University coach. Grant is a former Gators assistant and the leading candidate to replace Donovan.

But that meeting never happened -- Foley flew away from Richmond after learning of Donovan's second thoughts before the athletic director even left the airport's grounds.

Grant issued a statement Sunday night saying he has had no in-person contact with UF officials and hasn't received an offer to be Florida's head coach.

"I have been contacted by the University of Florida regarding their coaching vacancy," the statement said. "I have not had any in-person contact with any Florida representative, nor have I been offered the job.

"At this point in time, I will have no further comment on this situation as my focus is on my responsibilities at VCU."

Grant, who emerged Thursday as the top and seemingly lone candidate to replace Donovan, spoke with several Rams recruits and their coaches Thursday and Friday to prepare them for his possible departures.

Donovan did not attend Florida's boys basketball camp, which started Sunday afternoon on campus. Several members of his staff, including Shyatt, ran the camp. In his news conferences Friday, Donovan said Shyatt would join him with the Magic.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, reached at home early this morning, said he had heard nothing about Donovan possibly backing out of the deal. After learning of the report from a Sentinel reporter, Dyer said he still had no comment.

Nick Calathes and Chandler Parsons, high-profile recruits from Lake Howell High School who signed with the Gators, had communicated with each other late Sunday night but indicated they had not heard from UF's coaching staff.

Sarah Langbein of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Dave Curtis can be reached at dcurtis@orlandosentinel.com.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

But man Billy's an idiot, no NBA team is going to hire him now. What a pathetic little moron.

I refrained from commenting before, but I don't see this as too big of a deal - I thought it was a bad move from Orlando's POV, strictly a PR thing, I was shocked that Donovan made the move and I think he may have just been swept up by the big offer before realizing that he is not an NBA coach. He may never want to be an NBA coach and there's no shame in being a great college coach and nothing more... In fact I'm sure he started thinking about what happens if he busts out in Orlando and ruins his legacy in the state of Florida. And I bet Rick Pitino gave him a call too.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Funny Rick Pitino is mentioned. I remember hearing him say that coaching in the NBA is not harder than coaching in college since it's all basically about executing X's and O's and winning. He went on to say (as I recall most details) that the "egos" of players involved at the professional level can make for headaches and distractions which are much easier to deal with at the college level where they less seldom pop up. He said college players are more receptive to motivational techniques which at the pro level won't work or need to be much more subtle. Since every NBA player is a leased independent contractor and individual million dollar corporation unto himself unfortunately it often came down to lot more about me, me, me, and less about us, us, us.

I don't blame Donovan for having second thoughts about coaching in the NBA. Heck, as a basketball fan, I usually like the Final Four tournament in college better overall than the professional NBA playoffs.

 

[kennadog]

You have second thoughts before you sign the contract. A signed contract is giving your word to somebody to fullfill what you promised them. You give your bond and honor it.

All he had to do was say, give me a day or two to think about it. What a jerk. As the Magic, I'd let him go, but I'd make him pay the financial penalty. That's the least I'd want in return for this mess.

 

[Jechtsphere]

^
Totally agree, if your gonna sign then you better not run away.

The time for thinking about accepting or declining the contract is over after you sign it...it's ridiculous really.

The NBA is too big and bad for him I guess.

 

[whozit]

You have second thoughts before you sign the contract. A signed contract is giving your word to somebody to fullfill what you promised them. You give your bond and honor it.

All he had to do was say, give me a day or two to think about it. What a jerk. As the Magic, I'd let him go, but I'd make him pay the financial penalty. That's the least I'd want in return for this mess.

I personally think it would be poetic justice if Orlando let him out of the contract and then Florida in turn took their offer off the table and left him hanging.


... unfortunately not going to happen.

 

[BRad1055]

Donovan will get hired again in the NBA and the job I think he takes next is the Knicks job since he is from New York. He wont take it now, but he is only 42, so I could seeing him taking that job oh 5 to 7 years down the line if it was available.