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NBA: Ranking every active head coach by playing career

By Corey Rausch

March 23, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 23, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Every NBA head coach ranked by playing career: 9. Billy Donovan

Billy Donovan made the right choice for where to play in college to further his coaching career, attending Providence University to play under Rick Pitino.

In his senior season, he was named to the All-Big East First Team and helped lead Providence to the Final Foul. Donovan averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in his final year which was enough to get him drafted in the third round of the 1987 NBA Draft.

Donovan played three professional seasons, two in the CBA and one in the NBA. His two CBA seasons came with the Wyoming Wildcatters and the Rapid City Thrillers. Donovan played one season with the New York Knicks under college coach Rick Pitino where he averaged just 2.4 points and 2.0 assists per game.

After leaving professional basketball, he rejoined Pitino again, this time as an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky. He earned his first head coaching position at Marshall University and after two successful seasons, he took over at the University of Florida, where he would eventually become the fourth person to play and coach in a Final Four. After several successful seasons, he would move on to the NBA, first with the Oklahoma City Thunder and now with the Chicago Bulls.