Kentucky Offers Donovan

alaskaguy · 03-31-2007, 12:15 PM

ESPN is reporting that Kentucky has offerred Donovan a five year deal.

83Clone · 03-31-2007, 12:29 PM

Although I believe Donovan will wind up at Kentucky when it's all said and done, any conversations that have taken place to date have probably been third party and I really don't think any serious numbers will be thrown around until Florida is done playing

cmoore_23 · 03-31-2007, 12:33 PM

i thought they were going to wait til the final four was done!?! i think Donovan is dumb if he leaves..

aeroclone · 03-31-2007, 04:42 PM

It isn't a move I would make, but it depends on what he wants. He clearly has a good thing going, and will be paid well to stay. However, he will always be number 2 in town. If he goes to Kentucky, he will be the big thing on campus. Kentucky is one of those few places that could be considered without question a destination job. If that is his goal, he may just take the chance and roll with it.

Michael Lastuvka · 03-31-2007, 04:45 PM

If he's a family man, he'll stay at Florida. If he's a money-grubbing bastard, he'll go to Kentucky.

ISUAlum2002 · 03-31-2007, 04:51 PM

Some people in the media (Jay Bilas) are saying that the Kentucky job is the best job in the nation. Why then, would Tubby Smith leave to go to freaking Minnesota? The fans' expectations at UK are just unreal, much like the expectations of the Arkansas football fans.

I loved watching Notre Dame twist in the wind a few years ago after they canned Willingham. They thought every available candidate would just jump at the chance to coach their sacred program, but it took them forever to find someone to take the job. I'm hoping the same thing happens to UK.

coachdags · 03-31-2007, 05:35 PM

Why can not the Press, Just WAIT?

Watched ESPN last nite and Billy Donavan trying to answer question after question was ridiculous......He kept it professional and kept trying to keep the focus on the FINAL FOUR where it should be.

ISUAlum2002 · 03-31-2007, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by coachdags

Why can not the Press, Just WAIT?

Watched ESPN last nite and Billy Donavan trying to answer question after question was ridiculous......He kept it professional and kept trying to keep the focus on the FINAL FOUR where it should be.

I agree, he's getting inundated with questions about something that shouldn't even be an issue at this point. He should be able to soak this in and focus on actually being in the Final Four but instead he is hounded by members of the press who desperately want to be the ones who "break" the story first, if there is ever a story to break.

vanillathrilla · 03-31-2007, 06:36 PM

I believe Tubby left bc he would have been canned after next year and he knew that.

price26 · 03-31-2007, 06:53 PM

The expectations at Kentucky are unreal. Donovan would be taking a big risk taking the Kentucky job. That said, he is also stupid to not entertain the Kentucky job offer. Just entertaining it would give him some leverage in Florida though.

Donovan would be stupid to give up the dynasty he has built in Florida. Kids want to come to sunny Florida and the huge facilities they are building down there.

9seven · 03-31-2007, 07:21 PM

But being successful at Kentucky would be a amazing. Winning a nat champ at Kentucky makes you a legend and playing/coaching at Rupp arena in front of 20,000+ fans would be hard to top.

ripvdub · 03-31-2007, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by 9seven

But being successful at Kentucky would be a amazing. Winning a nat champ at Kentucky makes you a legend and playing/coaching at Rupp arena in front of 20,000+ fans would be hard to top.

Tubby won a National championship in his 1st year(albeit with someone elses players), yet he was run outtve town. I dont think many UK fans think of Tubby as a legend. Anyone that goes to UK will be just another coach.
Why leave a program where youre building a dynasty. I know everyone will be gone after this year, but Donovan is already written his ticket and is plenty rich. Itll be just as easier to get 5* prospects after back2backs thana place where you have to start all over. I dont get why everyone thinks coaches need to go back to where they started.

Wesley · 03-31-2007, 11:03 PM

Kentucky wants to pay $3M and Florida now pays him $2M a year. Florida will match.

Bobber · 03-31-2007, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by price26

The expectations at Kentucky are unreal. Donovan would be taking a big risk taking the Kentucky job. That said, he is also stupid to not entertain the Kentucky job offer. Just entertaining it would give him some leverage in Florida though.

Donovan would be stupid to give up the dynasty he has built in Florida. Kids want to come to sunny Florida and the huge facilities they are building down there.

I wouldn't call what Billy's got a dynasty quite yet. Yeah he's won one and is on the cusps of another, but he's pretty got much all of last years players back. Florida had never won a national championship in basketball before last year.

There really are only a few true dynasty teams out there namely UCLA in the 60's and 70's and the Duke teams of the 90's, and I suppose Kentucky could be thrown in the mix somewhere.

Donovans got the star power to go to Kentucky and be successful. He's a Pitino protoge if I remember right and we know the Kentucky people like him. Recruiting wouldn't be a problem. It may come down to salary and I think Kentucky is willing to pay up.

cybsball20 · 04-01-2007, 09:42 AM

A few things to think of before you assume he is gone...

When Donovan moved to Florida, Pitino told him that WHEN he does well at Florida he will get an arena named after him, do well here (Kentucky) and it is just good enought

Billy recently moved his in laws down and bought them a place in Gainesville

His dad recently moved down to be an assistant coach on the High school team where his son plays (and my old high school

)