ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Billy Donovan found the opportunity too good to resist: a big payday, a promising team and a job close to home.
“My decision to come here had nothing to do with the University of Florida,” Donovan said Friday when introduced as coach of the Orlando Magic. “I think if I was to have left Florida for another college job, I think you could say, ‘What was wrong?’
“But I had an opportunity to leave for another college job. This is a totally different environment, a different challenge, a different way of life, a different style altogether.”
Donovan’s NBA career began at a news conference televised live from the Magic’s practice court. He felt this was the time to make the jump.
“To be honest with you, I was very up front with (Florida’s athletic director) when the season ended,” Donovan said. “I said, ‘I want to coach in college here at the University of Florida. The only thing that would intrigue me, that I would really take a look at, would be an NBA situation that I felt was special, and it would have to be a special situation in my mind.”
Donovan and the Magic agreed to terms Thursday in a whirlwind deal that turned Florida basketball upside down. For a long time, he was said to be leaving. But he quieted speculation two months ago by declining a job at Kentucky.
Donovan accepted a five-year, $27.5 million contract, which pays more than twice the annual $1.7 million he was making at Florida, an official in the NBA told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The team did not disclose terms.
Donovan replaces Brian Hill, who was fired after two consecutive losing seasons. Hill’s ouster followed the Magic’s first playoff appearance in four years, which ended in the first round against Detroit.
The 42-year-old Donovan built a budding dynasty in Gainesville, taking the school to its first national championship in 2000 and winning the title the last two years. He has been a head coach for 13 seasons – two at Marshall and the past 11 with the Gators.
In Orlando, Donovan will try convert that college success into a pro championship – a difficult feat in the all-business NBA.
Donovan said one priority was finding a player who can score from the perimeter to help All-Star Dwight Howard and 7-footer Darko Milicic. Donovan said he already had relationships with several players, and even unsuccessfully recruited the likes of Howard, Trevor Ariza and J.J. Redick while at Florida.
“Certainly it’s going to be an adjustment, but I’ve got to coach to my personality and how I feel comfortable,” Donovan said. “A lot of guys on the team right now, there is some prior relationship.”
General manager Otis Smith said he was looking for “someone who was going to help our young team become better basketball players.”
Donovan was known for that at Florida.
“Billy Donovan has been here for 11 years, won two national championships. He’s been a great ambassador for the University of Florida. We’ll always love Billy Donovan, whether he’s here 11 years or 21 years,” Florida president Bernie Machen said Thursday at the Southeastern Conference’s annual spring meeting in Destin.
Smith said Donovan still wasn’t a sure thing as of Thursday, and the sides continued back and forth as reports filtered out the deal was made.
Redick called the hiring a “great opportunity for myself and for all the young guys on the team to really grow.”
“Everything coming out the last few days in the media was that there was no chance we were going to get him,” the former Duke star said. “I know a lot of people in Orlando were hoping we were going to get him. Obviously I’m very excited.”
Smith and Donovan played down the fact that other successful college coaches struggled in the pros.
“I think you guys make a good deal out of that because you don’t look at the teams prior to those coaches getting there, you only look at the teams after they got there,” Smith said. “Go back, this is your homework. Go back to those teams who brought in college coaches and look at their records prior to them and their rosters prior to them.”
“Eighty percent of it is communication and relationships. The X’s and O’s: How many different ways are there to defend a pick and roll? Let’s not kid yourself.”
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