Billy Donovan
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| Player information | ||
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| Full name | William John Donovan Jr. | |
| birthday | 30th May 1965 (age 55) | |
| place of birth | Rockville Center , New York , USA | |
| size | 180 cm | |
| position | Point guard | |
| college | Providence | |
| NBA draft | 1987 , 68. Pick, Utah Jazz | |
| Club information | ||
| society | Oklahoma City Thunder (Head Coach) | |
| league | NBA | |
| Clubs as active | ||
1987 Wyoming Wildcatters ( CBA ) 1987–1988 New York Knicks 1988–1989 Rapid City Thrillers (CBA)
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| Clubs as coaches | ||
| 1989–1994 University of Kentucky (Assistant) 1994–1996 Marshall University 1996–2015 University of Florida Since 2015 Oklahoma City Thunder
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William "Billy" John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965 in Rockville Center , New York ) is an American basketball coach . As a point guard , he was a player in the NBA and CBA for a few years before embarking on a career as a coach. Donovan has been the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2015 .
Player career
Donovan was selected after his time at Providence College in the 1987 NBA draft of the Utah Jazz in 68th place, but not taken into the roster. Donovan then moved to the lower class CBA, where he played for the Wyoming Wildcatters. After his former college coach Rick Pitino coached the New York Knicks , Donovan received an NBA contract with the team.
However, Donovan was fired in March 1988 and received no more engagement in the NBA. After another year in the CBA, he retired from his career and took the path of coaching.
Coaching career
Pitino became a coach at the University of Kentucky and hired Donovan as an assistant coach. In 1994 he got his first head coach position at Marshall University . He also became the youngest coach of the NCAA Division I at the age of 28. However, he could not lead Marshall to the NCAA finals in two years.
In 1996 he received a job offer from the University of Florida and became a trainer for the Florida Gators. In Florida, Donovan built a successful basketball program and reached the 2000 NCAA finals, where you lost to Michigan State University . 2006 and 2007, Donovan won with future NBA stars Al Horford , Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer , the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship .
In 2007 he received an offer from the Orlando Magic , which he initially accepted, but changed his mind a few weeks later and stayed with the Gators. After that he could no longer win the championship. His last success was the Final Four in the 2013-14 season. 2014-15, the Gators missed the NCAA finals for the first time in 18 years under Donovan.
In April 2015, Donovan signed a contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder , replacing Scott Brooks . He became the coach of star players Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook . With the Thunder, he won the Northwest Division title in his freshman year . In August 2020, Donovan (together with competitor Mike Budenholzer from the Milwaukee Bucks ) received the Coach of the Year award .
Web links
- Billy Donovan's website at the University of Florida athletics page
- Billy Donovan on basketball-reference.com
supporting documents
- ↑ Looking back on Billy Donovan's brief NBA career
- ↑ SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Donovan Lands Coaching Job at Marshall
- ↑ Donovan has second thoughts about Magic job
- ↑ Thunder Names Billy Donovan Head Coach
- ↑ These are the NBA Coach of the Year. August 3, 2020, accessed on August 3, 2020 .
2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 3 Chris Paul | 5 Luguentz there | 6 Hamidou Diallo | 7 Darius Bazley | 8 Danilo Gallinari | 9 Nerlens Noel | 11 Abdel Nader | 12 Steven Adams | 14 Devon Hall | 17 Dennis Schröder | 21 André Roberson | 22 Isaiah Roby | 23 Terrance Ferguson | 30 Deonte Burton | 33 Mike Muscala
Head Coach: Billy Donovan
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Donovan, Billy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Donivan, William John Jr. (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American basketball coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 30, 1965 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rockville Center , New York |