What went wrong with Billy Donovan?

[morgousky]

i will respectfully disagree.
billy coached 7 more years at Florida after Kentucky pursued - plenty of time to make the move before trying the nba.
And even then, billy had a very difficult time making the move- and Jeremy Foley was a big reason. OKC had a wildcard in Presti, with whom Billy was very comfortable and confident.
Yes, Christine has always been part of their decisions, but she didn’t squash any “finalized deal”. That didn’t exist.
And for billy, his legacy at Florida and relationship/loyalty to foley - those things did matter.

I know for a fact Billy Donovan turned down Kentucky after negotiating the contract. He had a pen in his hand. I always believed it was a recruiting tactic to delay UK so I don’t actually think he was gonna take it. His wife had already been clear she wanted to part of the move.

 

[TheAnonymous13]

I know for a fact Billy Donovan turned down Kentucky after negotiating the contract. He had a pen in his hand. I always believed it was a recruiting tactic to delay UK so I don’t actually think he was gonna take it. His wife had already been clear she wanted to part of the move.

Ok,
We seem to know differing facts. Perhaps one of us is wrong, or maybe just different perspectives.

 

[SaguaroCat]

Everybody that says Pitino made the decision is wrong. How do I know? Because Pitino said he did and Pitino is a liar. Also because CM said Pitino wanted Donovan. During the championship Tubby won, Pitino wanted to glom on some glory. Planted the story that it was his decision in New York papers. CM set the record straight. I can't find a link to the whole 25 year old story, just the part where everyone starts owning up.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1998-03-30-9803300290-story.html

Pitino has a history of that. For years he took credit as recommending Calipari for the UMASS job. But people on the committee said he actually was against it. Whispered they got the impression he didn't like a younger him coaching his alma mater.

Little follow up to Pitino taking credit for Cal hiring.

That origin story of Calipari's head coaching career, however, did not hold up well during a Calipari profile in Sports Illustrated that was written by S.L. Price in 2011. Not only did Price quote a source that said Pitino backed another candidate for the UMass opening, but Pitino was initially reluctant to talk about Calipari for the article.

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaa...hip-isn-t-as-cold-as-perceived-194011480.html

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Not many coaches that wouldn't want to coach at Kentucky. Just a lot of forces that will do what they can to us.

 

[BlueSince92]

In his new book Side Ball Screen he talks about his explosive diarrhea due to IBS and how it has affected his coaching style

People always talk about explosive diarrhea like it’s a bad thing but I say if you’re gonna have the squirts anyway may as well swing for the fences.

 

[Gassy_Knowls]

if you’re gonna have the squirts anyway may as well swing for the fences.

thats why he’s failing

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Nothing went wrong. He just lost Russel Westbrook and the party was over. Not his fault. He's still a good coach.

Now what is it? Lost Russel Westbrook? It’s been many years ago. Trying to decipher what you’re trying to say in this post. LOL TIA.

 

[TeoJ]

Athens, Georgia was the peak of the Tubster's marketability for sure. But I am not sure I would agree that no top 5 AD in the country would have picked Donovan. CM picked Tubby, that is what we know. Compatibility, costs, style of play, and past recruiting tendencies enter into a hiring decision. Nothing will convince me that the Tubster and his wife were ever comfortable in Lexington. It wasn't a societal thing. It was chemistry inside the Athletics Dept. after CM retired, plus the Tubster missing on some recruits he should have signed. Situations with Saul, Carruth, and Rondo were not handled very well and did not help things. Donovan may have been more of a fit if he was interested, but we will never know.

At the time the decision was made no other AD would have hired him over Tubby a couple of years later that could have happened.Billy had no head coaching experience at that time and I don't think any other coaching experience at all,you really think a top five program would have hired him over Tubby at THAT moment in time?

 

[c1doc]

I was told that at one point:
Tubby had told UK that he was taking the Atlanta Hawks job
UK let Billy know and Billy told the assistant coaches that they were going to Lexington...
Then, Tubby backed out of the Hawks job...

 

[kitttysmeow]

Pitino is what happen, CM trusted pitnos pick which was tubby

 

[mc140]

I am sure everyone will be excited If the next coach after Cal has only three years head coaching experience with no NCAA tourney appearances and a losing record in year one at a power five.

 

[morgousky]

Ok,
We seem to know differing facts. Perhaps one of us is wrong, or maybe just different perspectives.

The information came from a guy in the room. I realize this is not going to persuade you ,but it did happen. I believe to this day Billy was using UK at the time for recruiting purposes. Billy knew he was going to the NBA at some point. That and his wife wanting to stay because of schools, family, and friends are the only reasons he wouldn’t make the move. It wasn’t as much about loyalty as timing.

 

[yoshukai]

Little follow up to Pitino taking credit for Cal hiring.

That origin story of Calipari's head coaching career, however, did not hold up well during a Calipari profile in Sports Illustrated that was written by S.L. Price in 2011. Not only did Price quote a source that said Pitino backed another candidate for the UMass opening, but Pitino was initially reluctant to talk about Calipari for the article.

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaa...hip-isn-t-as-cold-as-perceived-194011480.html

Yeah Pitino even takes credit for helping pay his salary which turns out to be a lie .

 

[TheAnonymous13]

The information came from a guy in the room. I realize this is not going to persuade you ,but it did happen. I believe to this day Billy was using UK at the time for recruiting purposes. Billy knew he was going to the NBA at some point. That and his wife wanting to stay because of schools, family, and friends are the only reasons he wouldn’t make the move. It wasn’t as much about loyalty as timing.

Was the person in the room BlueSuave?

I kid!

Hope you are doing good, man!

 

[Macy's socks]

He had a crappy realtor.

 

[morgousky]

Was the person in the room BlueSuave?

I kid!

Hope you are doing good, man!

If A = C, and G = M, then the answer lies in the code

 

[Xception]

Newton relied on Pitinos advice and Rick said Billy wasn’t ready for UK and to hire Tubby. Newton thought Billy was the next Rick Pitino. That’s not my opinion, sports on the news said it back in the day. Anybody could watch Marshall and Georgia play to see the difference.

I wanted him to pick Donovan and was surprised he didn’t and disappointed he went with Tubby. Thought I had gotten it wrong after Tubbys first year, but I got it right the first time. Then after seeing how flakey Billy is I didn’t care.

 

[CastleRubric]

Athens, Georgia was the peak of the Tubster's marketability for sure. But I am not sure I would agree that no top 5 AD in the country would have picked Donovan. CM picked Tubby, that is what we know. Compatibility, costs, style of play, and past recruiting tendencies enter into a hiring decision. Nothing will convince me that the Tubster and his wife were ever comfortable in Lexington. It wasn't a societal thing. It was chemistry inside the Athletics Dept. after CM retired, plus the Tubster missing on some recruits he should have signed. Situations with Saul, Carruth, and Rondo were not handled very well and did not help things. Donovan may have been more of a fit if he was interested, but we will never know.

I’d go with peak marketing after he went to UK and wo.n a title __ but otherwise agree yeah - but I’m also drankin at - a local establishment so....

 

[FrankUnderwood]

my point is there has been hundreds of threads discussing this very issue
you can only beat a horse so long then it dies

Hundreds?

 

[nookam]

Billy Donovan didn’t go straight to a rival within the conference. He coached the Marshall Thundering Herd for 2 seasons before taking the Florida job. We fought for recruits but Towns wasn’t one of them. Cal had him before the 2012 Olympics really. Added him to the Dominican team over some pro players. Towns family from Jersey in Cal’s stomping grounds. Julius Randle? I think that big recruiting battle was with Kansas. They were sure they had him. I think all the experts were saying Kansas as well. When he picked Kentucky, naturally they said we bought him. He already had a custom UK phone cover so he had made his mind up.How did Cal get him? Randles wife a beautiful blonde UK cheerleader. Julius was no fool.We had him easily. Of course they were not married them, just dating. So no wonder Randle cramped up. He had no fluids left.


Donovan s excuse for staying in Florida when he did also had something to do with his sons grave. He visited it everyday and didn’t want to stop at that point. True or not but wouod. E understandable.

 

[mebeblue2]

Hundreds?

i may have downplayed it a little