Florida's Donovan denies he'll take Kentucky job.

[wilheim]

Posted: March 27, 2009
Sporting News staff reports



University of Florida coach Billy Donovan is denying a report that he will resign as Gators head basketball coach and take the position at Kentucky vacated by Billy Gillispie.

"In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible," Donovan said in a statement. "I am committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here."

The Fox television affiliate in Orlando, citing a source close to the Kentucky basketball program, reported that Donovan will resign from Florida to take the Kentucky job.

Donovan led the Gators to back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles in 2006 and 2007. He was courted for the Kentucky job two years ago but turned it down at that time. He also agreed to become the head coach of the Orlando Magic after the Gators' 2007 championship run but abruptly changed his mind and returned to the Gators.

Kentucky announced on Friday afternoon that it would not bring Gillispie back as head coach, but did not say who would take over the program.

Sporting News

 

[onemwtheone]

He's waiting for the UConn job after Calhoun takes the prep walk.

 

[HacheMan]

I don't believe he likes where the Gator basketball team & program currently is, and think he will seriously consider taking that Kentucky job......

 

[louisvillekid]

any coach with a solid job and at a good university would be a fool to take the UofK job. Only coach i could see wanting it is a young hot coach trying to make a name for himself.

After what Tubby did for that school and what he went through and now what B.G. did at utep and TexAM and wasn't even given time to get his players in and establish his system and style. I can't see any coach with an already good job taking the UK job.

I'm sorry but every time you use the redneck racist hillbilly words to describe a majority of UK's fan base, you always get the select few that come out and start the "we're not All racist" or "We're not a rednecks". I'm sorry, but in my experience of living here all my life and knowing too many UK fans or meeting UK fans at bars or parties or whatever. Yes, the majority are dumbass racist rednecks IMO, or maybe i just have been unfortunate to run in a lesser class circle of people.

The UK fans i know, want final fours and championships NOW, they want a white coach who will feed them what they want to hear, they want a token white boy who starts and can shoot the lights out, and they want to beat UofL every year.

Yes UK has a storied past, but the majority of those championships were in the old days of college ball.

the college game is too diverse and has changed drastically over the years. It is hard to get more than 1 McD's All American, much less 2 or 3 on a team anymore. Plus throw in that the skill level is all across the nation , you don't just have a handful of schools getting the elite players.

Back in the 40's and 50's and even 60's there wasn't alot of schools at a elite level in college ball, now there is literally a hundred, or 50 at least.
It will be hard as hell no matter who comes to UK for them to ever have a group of players like Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, and Antoine Walker all on the same team.

 

[RobFunk]

louisvillekid, well said. Agree 100%.

 

[WorldNumberOne]

donovan is waiting for the duke job...

 

[kidman232]

i thought donovan is stuck at florida for a few yrs after that going pro debacle

 

[bucsfan67]

would be a good place for Lavin to make a comeback....he certainly knows how to coach at a big name school with a legendary history......he has too much bball knowledge to waste it only broadcasting..

 

[donkeybucks]

Denial before acceptance.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

would be a good place for Lavin to make a comeback....he certainly knows how to coach at a big name school with a legendary history......he has too much bball knowledge to waste it only broadcasting..

I think that Lavin has some medical problems that he is dealing with...if not, I totally agree..

 

[billhill999]

He's waiting for the UConn job after Calhoun takes the prep walk.

Don't you mean pERp walk?
Calhoun is not going anywhere, especially not over excessive text messages.
Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[Bennyshoe]

so crazy that message boards were saying he was going. Even one poster said he had a "source" that said Billy D was in and would be announced.

Billy will be at UF for awhile. His family is there. His parents don't live far away. Maybe down the road he'll go somewhere else but I think he wants to build the program even more.

Imagine if he's at UK and he goes to the NIT two years in a row? He'd be fired and people would want him out! At UF, he's still has a job. He should after all he's done so far there.