Will the Maloofs go after Billy Donovan?
- Thread starter G_M
- Start date
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
creAtivetfh
Starter
i cant believe you compared donovan to musselman. Donovan has something that immidiately gives him the respect of the team. 2 championships.
remind me what muss has?
remind me what muss has?
kennadog
Dog On It!
That would be a "definitely."
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Unfortunately those titles really don't count that much in the NBA. College coaches are primary recipients of the no respect treatment. Just winning at a lower level. Think Muss might actually have a CBA title or two as well.
SacKings384
Starter
Keep in mind... There is only ONE coach in the history of the entire NBA to win a College and NBA championship... That's Larry Brown... But that doesn't spell much success for great college coaches...
The Hammer
All-Star
College-NBA... entirely different games. Entirely different environments. Entirely. What's one difference? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
John Galt
Starter
I'm tired of people completely disregarding the fact that Eric Musselman has been a towel boy, a ball boy, an errand boy, and a donut boy in the NBA since he was just a tyke. Give the man his due for crying out loud!!!
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
kennadog
Dog On It!
And I'd be more than happy to see him fill any one of those positions again.
piksi
Hall of Famer
if he only stayed all of the above
Circa_1985_Fan
All-Star
Donovan definetely isnt anything like Muss. Billy Donovan has 2 NCAA Championships, Eric Musselman has no credentials whatsoever. Billy Donovan has brought Florida basketball to the forefront. Before Donovan, basketball was like an exhibition in the state of Florida(in the college ranks, anyways). I think this year's Florida Gators would actually give Muss's Kings a run for their money, should they play...that team is ALMOST as good as a lower quality NBA squad.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Er....no. People make that claim occasionally about good college teams, but just no. Its easy to forget amongst the sucking at an NBA level, but the very worst NBA team is a collection of All Americans.
In any case, Muss's credentials are at least as good as Donovans -- college titles mean no more in the NBA than CBA titles. Less probably, as at least the CBA is professional and graduated a certain Phil Jackson to the ranks (as well as Flip). And in addition Muss had the normally critical NBA experience thing going, as both a failed head coach, and then an assistant. His lack of status as a player hurt, but other than that, his credentials are at least as appropriate for the NBA as Donovan's.
Circa_1985_Fan
All-Star
I think that the fact that Muss not having ever played is a pretty glaring deficiency. Gregg Popovich is an exception to this, but before him, there weren't that many coaches that were successful that didn't have NBA playing experience. Oh, and I agree with most of what you said Brick, but that Florida team...3 of those guys will be picked high in the 1st round of the draft, and the other 2 in the starting line-up will be picked next season... Noah, Horford, Brewer, and Green are all NBA players in about 2 months. They are not your normal college squad, kind of like that old UNLV team that had LJ, Augmon, and Anthony...not very average.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
I think there have been a few, but its tough. Fratello would be one. Chuck Daly actually was the coach of my alma mater, Penn, before joining the NBA and doing pretty well. The Van Gundys. Not sure about guys like Larry Brown and George Karl?
Did Donovan ever play in the NBA?
Big Cuz 15
All-Star
leave the hiring to geoff petrie for christ sakes........... the kings don't want to be suckered by another impressive power point presentation...
Fresno King
Starter
Hope the Kings coaching staff didn't buy homes in Sac
nbrans
All-Star
I'm with Brick on this one. College success, no matter how great, has nothing to do with succeding in the NBA. John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Mike Montgomery, Tim Floyd -- all of these guys are really great coaches who flamed out in the NBA. Billy Donovan is a good coach, but it's just not the same thing. Yelling at college kids who are away from home and on scholarship is a whole lot different than trying to motivate paid professionals. I don't think Billy Donovan makes any sense.
Circa_1985_Fan
All-Star
Looks like Donovan is staying put, so we can cross his name off of 'potential' next coaches.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=ap-florida-donovan&prov=ap&type=lgns
ARK LONG, AP Sports Writer
April 5, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Coach Billy Donovan will stay at Florida, spurning a chance to return to Kentucky and take over the tradition-rich program, a person familiar with Donovan's decision said Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had yet to be announced.
Donovan, who met with Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley earlier Thursday, planned to announce his decision at a 4 p.m. news conference.
Juniors Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah also were to announce Thursday whether they were staying in school or turning pro.
Freshman Marreese Speights said he had not heard about Donovan's or his teammates' decisions, but said the coach called a meeting with players at 5 p.m.
For them, Donovan's return was sure to be good news.
Donovan acknowledged interest in the Kentucky job this week, but also said he intended to stay in Gainesville and continue building the program that won consecutive national championships.
The Gators became the first team to win back-to-back titles since Duke in 1992. But following Monday night's 84-75 victory against Ohio State, Donovan's future had become the biggest question mark surrounding Florida.
Donovan became the obvious top candidate to replace Tubby Smith, who left last month to take the head job at Minnesota. Donovan was an assistant at Kentucky for five years beginning in 1989.
But he spent the last 11 years in Gainesville, putting down roots with his wife and four children. He also turned a mediocre basketball program into a national power -- at a place where football used to be king -- defying the conventional wisdom held by his mentor, Rick Pitino, his predecessor, Lon Kruger, and dozens of other naysayers around the country.
Donovan has two years remaining on his current contract worth $1.7 million annually, but was expected to sign a long-term extension. He has not yet agreed to a new deal with Florida.
University of Florida president Bernie Machen and Foley have been working on a new contract for Donovan since last year. Negotiations began during Florida's 2006 title run, but Donovan postponed signing a deal worth about $2 million because he didn't want to send the wrong message to the players who turned down NBA riches to stay in school.
Donovan's next contract could be worth considerably more now.
Kentucky received permission to talk to Donovan about its coaching vacancy Wednesday, a person familiar with the search process said earlier Thursday.
Foley left a voice mail with Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, giving Barnhart the OK to talk with Donovan, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Associated Press Writer Jeffrey McMurray in Lexington, Ky., contributed to this report.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=ap-florida-donovan&prov=ap&type=lgns
ARK LONG, AP Sports Writer
April 5, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Coach Billy Donovan will stay at Florida, spurning a chance to return to Kentucky and take over the tradition-rich program, a person familiar with Donovan's decision said Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had yet to be announced.
Donovan, who met with Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley earlier Thursday, planned to announce his decision at a 4 p.m. news conference.
Juniors Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah also were to announce Thursday whether they were staying in school or turning pro.
Freshman Marreese Speights said he had not heard about Donovan's or his teammates' decisions, but said the coach called a meeting with players at 5 p.m.
For them, Donovan's return was sure to be good news.
Donovan acknowledged interest in the Kentucky job this week, but also said he intended to stay in Gainesville and continue building the program that won consecutive national championships.
The Gators became the first team to win back-to-back titles since Duke in 1992. But following Monday night's 84-75 victory against Ohio State, Donovan's future had become the biggest question mark surrounding Florida.
Donovan became the obvious top candidate to replace Tubby Smith, who left last month to take the head job at Minnesota. Donovan was an assistant at Kentucky for five years beginning in 1989.
But he spent the last 11 years in Gainesville, putting down roots with his wife and four children. He also turned a mediocre basketball program into a national power -- at a place where football used to be king -- defying the conventional wisdom held by his mentor, Rick Pitino, his predecessor, Lon Kruger, and dozens of other naysayers around the country.
Donovan has two years remaining on his current contract worth $1.7 million annually, but was expected to sign a long-term extension. He has not yet agreed to a new deal with Florida.
University of Florida president Bernie Machen and Foley have been working on a new contract for Donovan since last year. Negotiations began during Florida's 2006 title run, but Donovan postponed signing a deal worth about $2 million because he didn't want to send the wrong message to the players who turned down NBA riches to stay in school.
Donovan's next contract could be worth considerably more now.
Kentucky received permission to talk to Donovan about its coaching vacancy Wednesday, a person familiar with the search process said earlier Thursday.
Foley left a voice mail with Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, giving Barnhart the OK to talk with Donovan, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Associated Press Writer Jeffrey McMurray in Lexington, Ky., contributed to this report.
Well, I think Donovan might have a shot at NBA success. Unlike Pitino, he does not rely solely on yelling and "big New York" talk. And his success is not exclusively based on his ability to recruit like Calipari, Self, Barnes, Roy Williams, and Matta. Correct me if I am wrong, but despite their pedigrees, I think this current group was one of his least heralded classes coming in. I just don't remember the same level hype around them as we heard from James White, David Lee, Brett Nelson, Mike Miller, Teddy Dupay and the like. More importantly, his teams almost never have the kind of late game brain farts all too characteristic of the recruiting-oriented coach.
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