After attending Sunday night’s Red Sox-Yankees game, I returned home to see Andy Katz smiling mug on SportsCenter reporting that Billy Donovan was having second thoughts on becoming the head coach of the Orlando Magic. The coach of the defending national title Florida Gators wanted to return to the school he was being hailed at, and wasn’t ready to deal with professional athletes.
As of tonight (Tuesday), it appears that both sides are just sorting out the details and Donovan will in fact be let out of his contract with the Magic, then welcomed back to Florida with open arms.
While I don’t agree, and really understand, why Donovan bit on the Magic’s lure then decided to keep swimming in the college game, it made me happy deep down. Being partial to college basketball, I consider Donovan as the face of the next generation of great college coaches, including Thad Matta and Billy Gillespie among others. His absence would be a blow to the college game as Florida’s back-to-back national titles has propelled them into an elite group of programs-- a team that will continue to recruit nationally and be expected to hover in or around the top 10 every season.
Amidst all of this though are many questions as to what exactly went through Donovan’s head last weekend when he pulled a fast one on the Magic.
For a career move of this decision, you would presume that he thought long and hard over the decision to leave. Most likely he consulted his staff, his friends, family and anyone he regularly confides to when it comes to making life-altering decisions.
Did it take him a press conference in Orlando to realize that he wasn’t nearly the coach Rick Pitino, John Calapari were, both excellent college coaches who let their ego get in the way, only to not be successful in the professional ranks?
To his credit however, Donovan did have the right idea signing with Orlando. A playoff team this season with a rising star in Dwight Howard, there were pieces there to help breed success, but that also meant rising expectations, so a failure to translate this potential into long-term success would certainly be expected.
While Donovan’s credibility will be slighted, it could have been worse. He jumped back before it was too late, even though some will argue it already was. In time however, we will look back at this bump in the road as simply a brain fart on Donovan’s part, as he becomes one of the most successful college coaches of his generation—then the Miami Heat will come calling.
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