By TIFFANY RAZZANO
The Gators ended the season 35-5.
Donovan, originally from Rockville Centre, led the team to its first-ever NCAA title just last season and helped it become the first team in 15 years to win back-to-back titles.
"I think because they won last year, the repeating was almost kind of expected," said Bill Donovan, Billy Donovan's father. "It made it even more difficult because everyone was gunning for them. There was a target on their backs. But they were the favorite to win. They were expected to win and that makes it more difficult."
He says Florida was lucky not to lose its key players from last year to the NBA. But next year will be a different story, as four junior starters, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green - who played key roles in both title wins - have given up their last year of college eligibility to enter the NBA draft. "His top guys are going to be gone next year," said Bill Donovan. "There's only one real kid who played decent with time left. It's almost going to be a starting-over type of thing. When you've done what he's done back to back here, you know you're going to get a bit of a reprieve. People will understand it's a rebuilding year. He has to build back up and it's going to take some time." Donovan says his son will be heavily recruiting over the next couple of months.
With his star players leaving and questions about his own future with Florida, Billy Donovan recently announced that he turned down a position with the University of Kentucky.
"It was difficult for him to give up happiness," said his father. "He loves it there. His kids love it there. His wife loves it there. It's difficult to give that up. Florida could offer as much money as Kentucky, so it came down to what was in his heart. He figured, 'if everybody is happy here, including me, why give that up?'"
Born and raised in Rockville Centre, Donovan graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1983. He went on to play guard for Providence College's basketball team, where in his junior year he averaged 15.1 points a game and 20.6 as a senior. During his senior year, his team made it to the Final Four.
He played in the NBA for one year with the New York Knicks before beginning his coaching career. In 1989, he joined the University of Kentucky as an assistant coach before securing a head coaching position at Marshall University in 1994.
Donovan came to Florida in 1996. He has guided the team to two NCAA titles, as well as eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and eight straight 20-win seasons. He is one of only five coaches to reach the Final Four as both a coach and a player. Florida, under his guidance, also won two straight SEC Men's Basketball Tournaments in 2005 and 2006. "We're extremely proud of him," said Bill Donovan. "This was a great moment for our family. This year it was especially gratifying. The win was more difficult. The games were closer, a bit more nail biting."
Comments about this story? TRazzano@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 221.
