Billy Donovan is now in play for next year’s college coaching hiring carousel

For every college basketball fan wishing for a regime change, your prayers might be answered in the best possible way.

Billy Donovan will be the most desirable candidate when the coaching carousel starts next year. With the Orlando Magic reportedly hiring San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, that likely closes the door on Donovan staying in the NBA. He has now failed with two pro teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls. If he wants to coach in 2027-28, he will probably need to do so at the college level.

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In many ways, it’s the ideal time for Donovan to return. The sport’s two biggest jobs could be open in the near future. Kentucky’s Mark Pope is under the gun after the Wildcats underachieved despite their expensive roster. If he doesn’t show signs of progress to an extremely demanding fan base, he’ll be gone. In Kansas, speculation had circulated that Bill Self was considering retirement before he announced in April that he would be back.

Regardless of whether it’s Kentucky, Kansas, or anywhere else, some school will make Donovan an offer he can’t refuse.

A lot has changed since he left Florida, where he coached the Gators to back-to-back national championships. He hasn’t worked on a campus since 2015. However, you could argue that the current college landscape suits his strengths better than ever. Donovan has long been known as a dogged recruiter who knows how to find the right players to succeed.

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There was speculation that Donovan could have had the North Carolina job, but the Tar Heels didn’t want to wait until the end of the NBA regular season. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll never know. Now, Donovan will have a full year to assess which college best suits him. Schools will also have time to put together their best pitch.

NIL and the transfer portal have made college basketball more unpredictable. To succeed, you must adapt to these changes while navigating the nuances of college. Donovan has experience…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/billy-donovan-now-play-next-140021100.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-02 14:00:00

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