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SEC: Why Was Billy Donovan So Underrated At Florida?

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

May 1, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder new head coach Billy Donovan visits with team owner Clay Bennett prior to a press conference at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 1, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder new head coach Billy Donovan visits with team owner Clay Bennett prior to a press conference at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Four.

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That’s the number of Final Four trips Billy Donovan has made since 2000. Four also represents the ranking that writers and media members alike gave Donovan before the college basketball season began. They were ranking the top college basketball coaches in the country, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Donovan was ranked behind Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski and John Calipari. Some also have made the case that Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and Rick Pitino are also better coaches than Donovan in their respective lists as well.

Who could blame you?

(On another note: I think the top five basketball coaches were this. No. 1 Krzyzewski, No. 2 Donovan No. 3 Calipari, No. 4 Williams, No. 5 Izzo. Pitino, Boeheim and Self can battle for six, seven and eight.)

For some reason Donovan was never in the same space as the good old boys club that a lot of his older college basketball predecessors were.

When it came to Donovan he was different.

Jan 17, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox (left) and Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan shake hands after the game at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Florida 73-61. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox (left) and Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan shake hands after the game at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Florida 73-61. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

He was younger than a lot of his peers and his youth is the reason why he was able to relate to his athletes so well. For other coaches they had a long standing traditional way of conducting business and Donovan was still trying to build his own legacy.

After almost 20 years of work at the University of Florida he did just that. Donovan made a legacy that will become hard to ever replicate at Florida. The way that he changed the program will only help make it easier for new coaches take it to even bigger heights.

Maybe that’s why it looked like other coaches seemed envious of Donovan’s success. Either way even though he was never appreciated like one of the greats in college basketball he could stand on equal footing with anyone in the sport.

Donovan never took it as disrespect. It only made him work harder to receive more celebrations. In spite of the talent he made no excuses and brought the best effort of most of his players.

Mar 3, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan huddles up with forward Jon Horford (21), forward Jacob Kurtz (30), guard Chris Chiozza (11), guard Kasey Hill (0) and guard Eli Carter (1) during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan huddles up with forward Jon Horford (21), forward Jacob Kurtz (30), guard Chris Chiozza (11), guard Kasey Hill (0) and guard Eli Carter (1) during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Why was Donovan so underrated as a coach?

You could point out that Donovan’s last season in Gainesville wasn’t his best. But also remember how much Florida had lost. In 2013-14, when he led Florida to a 36-3 record, they were one of the best teams in college basketball. Florida had an undefeated season in the SEC (yes, that includes over Kentucky twice).

They also finished the season with accolades such as being ranked No. 1 in the college basketball, they also won the conference tournament title and they made it to the Final Four, where they would lose to eventual the national champion Connecticut Huskies.

Can you name three players from their starting lineup? I doubt it.

What Donovan’s done outside of all of his success on the court is help change the culture at Florida. Think about how many schools in the country that are good in both college basketball and in college football. Take all the time you need.

Matter of fact just think of the schools that are good at football and basketball in your favorite conference. In the SEC it’s Florida alone.

Even though there were a bunch of different opinions in the country on Donovan’s ability, there was one group who got it right … ESPN. Before the college basketball season started The Worldwide Leader in Sports dubbed Donovan as the best coach in college basketball.

Nov 21, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan talks with Florida Gators forward Chris Walker (23) and forward Jon Horford (21) during the second half at Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida Gators defeated the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 61-56 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan talks with Florida Gators forward Chris Walker (23) and forward Jon Horford (21) during the second half at Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida Gators defeated the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 61-56 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

In their Top 50 coaches ranking, ESPN said this:

"Before Donovan, the Gators’ basketball history was almost nonexistent. In 1932-33, the Gators fielded an SEC basketball team for the first time. For the next 47 years, they finished higher than fourth in the conference standings just four times.The Gators didn’t have a full-time coach until 1960, and their only sustained success (under Norm Sloan from 1980 to 1989) led to the Gators’ first postseason berths ever, and also a major NCAA scandal.That was five years before Donovan arrived. Now, 19 years later, Florida is one of the nation’s elite college basketball programs. It is a perennial recruiting destination, a near-constant winner."

Because Donovan is such an intelligent coach and an even better tactician he’s been able to bring in recruits that weren’t heralded all-americans and turn them into major players in the league after leaving the Florida program.

We can look at the success of Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Chandler Parsons‘ careers and all three of them will express how Donovan’s been able to help them become better players during their time playing at Florida.

For what it’s worth, even though Donovan wasn’t celebrated at Florida, he’ll soon have all the recognition that he deserves now that he’s coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder. Soon enough we’re going to give credit to Donovan and sure how good of a coach he is.

Look for the Thunder to instantly become title contenders. Just understand it’s not only because Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are finally healthy.

It’s also because of the coach who stands behind them and is comfortable being only a shadow.

Next: SEC: Five Coaches That Could Replace Billy Donovan At Florida

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