OT- Billy Donovan to coach Thunder
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12793263/billy-donovan-agrees-multi-y…
Tough coaching loss for FL and the SEC. Will be interesting to see who they pick up.
Will he draft Jon Horford late first round or early second?
Late first? The Horford family says he's a high first rounder. He just wasn't getting his opportunities with Donovan at Florida.
Well in fairness he DID have a breakout season last year, doubling his previous year averages across the board as he went from 3.8 points/game to a lofty 6.5.
Gonna stay for more than a week this time?
When he left the first time, he had just won two consecutive NCAA Championships. The offer was to coach a team in need of rebuilding. Eight years later, he hasn't won another one. This offer is from a team that may be a piece or two away from playing for the NBA Championship.
In 2007, it was "wrong place, wrong time." Now, it's, "right place, right time." Excellent move.
That worked out for both parties imo. SVG really made that Orlando squad into something special.
He couldn't get back to the NBA regardless b/c the terms of the agreement he broke stipulated that he not accept any NBA offers for 5 years.
My money is on John Pelphrey.
They could do much better than Pelphrey.
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They could, but I don't think they will.
Florida is just as attractive as a job as Texas was, even play in an easier conference.
Because Jeremy Foley is a doofus.
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Bruce Pearl is currently coaching at Auburn.
Like he said, not doing much...
I know he's been a candidate for NBA jobs but I don't really get it. A lot of college coaches don't pan out in the pros. What makes him a prized commodity for NBA teams? He played one season there but otherwise has been a college lifer, IIRC.
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They should give Archie Miller a boatload of cash. He'd be great there.
Yep, it'll be Archie
It would have been Shaka Smart, had he waited.
He really killed it at Florida with four Final Fours, two national championships and a boatload of SEC championships. The guy did a remarkable job.
Man if everyone stays healthy there they should be really, really good. Granted you have to convince Durant and Westbrook to stay in OKC, with all the chatter of them possibly leaving soon(Durant/Wizards & Westbrook/Lakers) there is a chance OKC could become blah. Although if those two guys stay they have a good/deep squad around them with Kanter, Ibaka, Adams, Lamb, Augustin, Singler, Morrow and obviously Mitch.
I wonder who takes over at Florida, maybe Archie Miller from Dayton or Chris Mack from Xavier.
childhood team, and wins a couple championships with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, and Reggie Jackson.
Please not Archie Miller please my Archie Miller please not Archie Miller
I will always remember Donovan for that absolute waxing we gave his team in the Elite 8 two years ago. That game was a thing of beauty.
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That's kinda the thing. Before Donovan, it was not a good basketball job. He took a program that had never had success and won national titles, SEC titles and churned out many NBA players, some who have become stars in the association. There was nothing more he was ever going to accomplish there, and since he happens to compete in the same league as a Calipari-led UK team, it was never going to be an even playing field or a fair fight. This was a great move for him to make now, but if OKC can't get Durant and Westbrook locked up long term...ouch.
and go after Greg Marshall. Archie Miller would be another quality hire.
There's been a lot of talk about Richard Pitino going to Florida. Definitely agree that Archie Miller would be a better hire.
Richard Pitino has done jack so far. Greg Marshall, Tony Bennett, Fred Hoidberg, etc. would all be big hires if Florida wants to pony up. It's weird how they were on top of the world with Urban and Billy just 8 years ago and now don't have either.
Marshall seems like the most likely guy of the 3 you mentioned.
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Good for OKC, I will be pulling for them.
John Calipari, since 7 of his players left for the draft, maybe a good time for the NCAA to go make a trip to Lexington, who knows what they will find.
How could he cut his budget that much?
when Eddie Munster was going to go to the NBA. Thought it would have been a few years ago, though. Good luck to him. Enjoyed watching Michigan play them in the Elite 8 in 2013.
+1, I never made the connection till you mentioned it. Always thought his look reminded me of someone....
I had heard somewhere that Donovan was the only name on Sam Presti's list basically, so he got his primary and only target. $30 million deal too, so not bad at all, I would think.
Didn't Donovan come within inches of doing this maybe seven or eight years ago with the Magic? I thought he got as far as actually holding a presser before changing his mind, but I could be misremembering.