ORLANDO MAGIC make offer to coach donovan

[cranrab]

i always thought coach donovan would be a good fit for a team of young and/or immature players. like the fakers.

Thursday, May 31, 2007
Source: Donovan offered $6M per to coach Magic

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ESPN.com news services

After weeks of waiting for the University of Florida to finalize his new seven-year contract, the Orlando Magic have entered Billy Donovan's world and given him another substantial offer to ponder.

After leading the Gators to the last two national championships, the 42-year-old Donovan has received a contract offer from the Magic worth $6 million annually, a source told ESPN.com's Pat Forde.

Team officials told the Orlando Sentinel, which first reported the story on its Web site, that Donovan is expected to take the job. But as of 4 p.m. ET, multiple sources close to Billy Donovan confirmed to ESPN.com's Andy Katz that Donovan has not accepted the job yet. Sources said that Donovan was waffling with the decision and that the Magic had made the offer very hard to turn down.

The sources added this job has been the toughest decision he's had to make, much more so than any early offer from Memphis and even more so than Kentucky's contract offer. The part that makes the offer potentially palatable is that it is close enough to his Gainsville home that could it make it a smooth transition. Donovan's parents, in-laws and sister all have a home in Gainsville and the sources said that if there was a job that he would seriously consider it would be this one because of the proximity to his family.

Ultimately, Donovan has to make a decision, though, whether or not he wants to be an NBA coach. Sources said that now that the offer is public the decision will likely be sped up and may have to come sometime on Thursday.

<-- When asked about the job Wednesday, Donovan told the Sentinel he had not spoken with the Magic. Donovan had not contacted Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley as of Thursday afternoon to say whether he's accepted the job, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com. -->

Donovan's new contract at Florida -- it was presented to him on May 17 but he had yet to sign it as of May 25 -- was to pay him around $3 million in the first year. The contract then was to escalate to more than $3.75 in guaranteed income by the end of the contract in 2013-14, a person familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.com

The 42-year-old Donovan is one of only 12 college basketball coaches to win multiple national championships. The Gators won their second straight in April after beating Ohio State.

The Magic removed Brian Hill as coach on May 23 after two consecutive losing seasons and a first-round sweep in this year's playoffs.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Official: Donovan leaving Florida to coach Orlando Magic
By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer
May 31, 2007

Florida coach Billy Donovan directs his team against Purdue during the second round of the NCAA Midwest Regional basketball tournament in New Orleans, in this March 18, 2007 file photo. An official in the NBA says Florida coach Billy Donovan has agreed to coach the Orlando Magic.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized, said Donovan agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.

Donovan, who turned down an offer in April to coach Kentucky, replaces Brian Hill, who was fired after two consecutive losing seasons.

Donovan, his agent and Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley didn't return phone messages left by The AP. School president Bernie Machen, who was attending a meeting of Southeastern Conference officials, declined comment.

The Magic fired Hill last week after two straight losing seasons, though the team made its first postseason appearance this year in four tries but lost to Detroit.

Speculation that Donovan would leave Gainesville seemed to end after he turned down Kentucky and said, "I love the University of Florida." He was also linked to the Memphis Grizzlies' job, but never had formal talks with them and repeatedly refused to comment about any open coaching positions.

He said he intended to sign an extension at Florida, where he was making $1.7 million annually.

At an NBA pre-draft camp, Donovan's former players said they hadn't heard anything about him switching jobs.

"I've talked to him, just not about that," Al Horford said.

If he's going to go, now could be the best time for Donovan. Florida lost its top seven scorers after the season, including potential top-10 NBA picks Joakim Noah, Horford and Corey Brewer.

Donovan's made it to the NCAA title game three times in his 11 years at the traditionally football-oriented school. Under him, Florida has had nine straight 20-win seasons, nearly doubling the amount it had before his arrival.

 

[cranrab]

Report: Magic will let Donovan out of deal
Jeff Goodman / FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 minutes ago

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Magic has agreed to let Billy Donovan out of his contract, paving the way for the former Florida coach to return to the Gators.

Donovan agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million deal late last week with the Magic, but as first reported by FOXSports.com on Sunday night, he approached both sides about getting out of the contract over the weekend.

According to sources, Donovan had second thoughts shortly after being introduced at a news conference on Friday morning. He is known as someone who takes excessive time in making decisions, and wasn't given much time to decide if he wanted the NBA job.

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley flew to Richmond, Va., to meet with VCU coach Anthony Grant, a former Donovan assistant, on Saturday morning. However, he returned shortly after arriving in Virginia due to an emergency.

According to a source close to the Gators program, the emergency was that Donovan was attempting to get out of his contract with the Magic and return to Florida.

On Monday morning, the Magic released this statement:

"While Central Florida, the Orlando Magic and Billy were energized with the announcement of his contract signing on Friday, we know there was a different feeling in Gainesville and people have been tugging at him since that time. Billy is conflicted with those emotions and the opportunity he has ahead in Orlando and in the NBA. We've had numerous conversations and a personal visit in Gainesville with Billy over the last 48 hours and we have a commitment from him that the dialogue between us will continue."

However, the Orlando Sentinel quoted an unnamed source saying, "It's over" regarding the Magic allowing Donovan out of his contract.

Donovan, 42, led the Gators to consecutive national titles over the past two seasons and was slated to sign a seven-year deal worth approximately $3.5 million annually. The deal was still in the process of being approved when he accepted the deal with the Magic.

Donovan was introduced by the Orlando Magic at a news conference on Friday.

If Donovan had a change of heart, it wouldn't be the first in college basketball.

Creighton coach Dana Altman was introduced as Arkansas' new basketball coach earlier this spring, then decided to return to Creighton two days later.

Altman's reversal was not without precedent. In 1993, Bobby Cremins accepted the South Carolina job, then reneged two days later and returned to Georgia Tech.

And in June 2006, Charleston hired Winthrop's Gregg Marshall, but Marshall told the Cougars one day later he was returning to Winthrop.