Let's Talk About This
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by user 68.224.124.85
Everyone is talking. Even my best friend's fiance who knows nothing about college basketball is listening to ESPN radio to find out the latest. It's Billy Donovan. The man, the myth, the Florida legend. The choice is difficult. Florida or Kentucky (or NBA). This guy is good. He single handedly brought Florida basketball to prominence. During the Donovan era (1996-2007), Donovan has led Florida to 261 wins. Before his time, it took Florida sixteen seasons and three coaches to equal that number (1980-1996, Norm Sloan, Don DeVoe, Lon Kruger). When you look at a basketball program like that at Kentucky, Donovan is meant for a job like that. Kentucky has prided itself on it's winning tradition, and Donovan is more than able to carry it on. That's why he should go to Kentucky.
Let's look at some other reasons why. Right now, two of the top prospects in the nation, Jai Lucas and Patrick Patterson, have Kentucky listed as their top choice right now and it's looking more and more like they will both end up there. Depending on whether or not Florida's fabulous four juniors stay or go to the NBA, Donovan is going to be left with a bare cupboard. He does have a few good recruits coming in but they will be quite a ways off from being as dominant as the Noah/Horford/Brewer/Green quartet. If is really up for a challenge, he'll have one on his hands next year with this incoming class.
But let's take another angle here. Last I heard, Kentucky was ready to offer $4 million a year for Donovan's services. First off, Florida can't afford to pay him that much. Not that they don't have the money too, but if they beef up Donovan's contract, they have to beef up Urban Meyer's. Meyer is already being paid $2 million per year to coach a better liked Florida football program. If Donovan is getting paid $4 million per, what does that mean Meyer can expect? $6 million? $7 million? Regardless, it's a huge number. Florida can't afford that. On top of this, football will always be king. Donovan will always run a second rate program, and never have the respect he would get at Kentucky.
Why not the NBA then? Donovan is a coach, not a superstar manager. That's what NBA coaches are, managers of whiny overpaid superstars. Donovan would run into the same fate as his mentor Rick Petino; a losing regular season and playoff record and wasted four years. Kentucky can pay Donovan NBA money, and also play to his strengths as recruiter and coach.
Why should Billy Donovan go to Kentucky? It will make him one of the greatest coaches of all time. Greater than Dean Smith, Bobby Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, and even John Wodden.
