Orlando's Magic Works On Donovan

By ANDY STAPLES The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 1, 2007

DESTIN - After weeks of speculation about when he would sign a new contract, Billy Donovan finally agreed to one Thursday. He just didn't sign with the University of Florida.

Donovan, who coached the Gators to three Final Fours and two national titles in his 11-year tenure, will be introduced as the Orlando Magic's new coach at a news conference at 11 a.m. today at the team's facility in Maitland. Back in Gainesville, where there will be a news conference at 4 p.m., Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley will try to find the program's next coach at a time when most of the top candidates either have taken new jobs or recently signed contract extensions at their current schools.

The Associated Press reported that Donovan, who turned 42 Wednesday, agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Magic.

"Billy Donovan is a winner," said the Magic's general manager, Otis Smith. "We feel he is the right person to develop and maximize the talents of our players."

Donovan replaces Brian Hill, who was fired last week after two consecutive losing seasons.

UF President Bernie Machen, in Destin for the Southeastern Conference spring meetings, declined to talk specifically about Donovan's departure, but he did say Donovan and Foley had agreed to terms on a contract extension.

"It's done," Machen said. "It's been done."

In recent weeks, Donovan has said he would have signed the extension but that Foley and Machen had yet to complete the bureaucratic steps necessary to finalize the deal. He reiterated that sentiment Tuesday at the SEC meetings in Destin.

"I have trust for Jeremy and Dr. Machen," Donovan said Tuesday. "Really, it's not in my hands. It's really in the University of Florida's hands. I understand there's a process that the school's going to go through."

Donovan's voice mail was full Thursday, and he did not respond to a text message. Foley left Destin without speaking to reporters, and he didn't return a phone call or respond to a text message. After the Magic officially announced Donovan's hiring late Thursday, Foley released a statement thanking Donovan for turning a previously mediocre program into one of the nation's best.

"We certainly wish this run could have gone on forever. It's been an incredible privilege to be a part of," Foley said in a written statement. "We're indebted to Billy Donovan. … We'll miss him as a coach, but we'll always be friends and remain close to Billy and his family. We know he has a lot more success in his future, and we wish him the best in his new journey."

Donovan's departure could force Foley to act quickly to find a new coach. Donovan's final recruiting class was ranked among the best in the nation, but it is unclear whether those five players will want to play for another coach. Chandler Parsons, a forward from Winter Park, said he "committed to the school" but also that he "committed to play for Billy Donovan." Unless Florida officials release the players from their letters-of-intent, they would have to sit out a year before they could play for another school.

Three days after Florida won the national title, juniors Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Taurean Green announced they would skip their senior seasons and enter the NBA draft.

Whether the Gators keep the class together depends on who Foley hires. An obvious candidate is former Gators assistant Anthony Grant, who in his first year as head coach led Virginia Commonwealth to a Colonial Athletic Association conference title and a first-round NCAA Tournament upset of Duke. Grant accepted a raise in March, but it's unlikely VCU officials would begrudge Grant the opportunity to lead the program he spent 10 years helping to build. Grant, who helped recruit several of the current signees while working at Florida, did not respond to a text message Thursday night.

It appears Foley will not get a chance to consider assistant Larry Shyatt. ESPN and Fox Sports reported Thursday that Shyatt would join Donovan in Orlando. Other possible candidates to replace Donovan include Marquette's Tom Crean and Villanova's Jay Wright.

Foley finds himself in a much more enviable position than he did in 1996, when Donovan - then Marshall's 30-year-old head coach - convinced Foley that a young go-getter could help raise the program to new heights. Donovan led the Gators to the NIT in his second season. In his third, he led the Gators to the first of nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Donovan's star seemed to fade when, after coaching the Gators to the NCAA title game in 2000, his teams endured a five-year streak of first-weekend exits from the NCAA Tournament. The Gators began the 2005-06 season with low expectations but wound up winning the program's first national title. Despite crushing expectations brought on by the return of all five starters, the 2006-07 team rolled to another title.

After the title, Donovan turned down the opportunity to interview for the coaching vacancy at Kentucky. He met briefly with Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley in late April, but he said later that no job was offered.

Donovan never would directly address rumors that linked him to the Magic job even before the team fired Hill. In an interview in May, Donovan said he didn't want to make a definitive statement about his future because he didn't want those comments used against him later.

In the same interview, Donovan admitted he was "intrigued" by the NBA. Thursday, he gave in to his curiosity.

Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at astaples@tampatrib.com or (352) 262-3719.