In a rare (in these days of money over everything) demonstration of loyalty, Donovan elected to stay at Florida where (when he leaves - as he surely will eventually) his next move will probably be to the pros. Maybe he'll eventually replace another old Wildcat, Pat Riley, when he (finally) steps down for good as the coach of the Miami Heat.
However, Kentucky did get their own Billy. It's just a different Billy. Ours is now named Billy Gillispie - most recently of Texas A&M.
He worked wonders in College Station and in El Paso, leading both Texas A&M and UTEP to NCAA appearances only one year after previous poor seasons. The Big Blue Faithful hope that his wonder working talent will continue in Lexington.
Most importantly, were all hoping that a couple of Tubby's prize recruits will keep their commitments and favor the Bluegrass with their presence - making Billy G's task a bit easier than starting over from scratch.
A survey on the Lexington Herald Leader's website is currently asking fans how long it ought to take to get UK back to the NCAA's Final Four again. The votes were averaging 3-4 years.
That's definitely a rather tall hill to climb, especially in light of recent Wildcat performances, but that is the challenge that Billy G's accepted and he claims to be up to it. I sure hope so!
At least Florida will also be rebuilding after it's own Fab Four (Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah) announced that they will all enter the NBA draft.
Good Luck, Billy G! ... and congratulations on a class move to Billy D!
On, U of K!
They did this despite a truly amazing performance by Greg Oden, the Buckeye freshman center who looks old enough to be ready for retirement instead of being a possible #1 NBA pick. I mean really ... a freshman? He must have been shaving since he was about six years old.
Regardless, the Gator's well-deserved celebration will now be tempered by their coach's looming decision about whether to accept the many millions that the University of Kentucky is surely dangling in front of him to leave Gainesville and return to the Bluegrass State where he was once a young assistant coach under Rick Pitino, who's now at hated arch-rival Louisville.
There, he'll be revered, beloved, adored, grossly overpaid, pampered and, above all, expected to recruit the country's best talent like he did at Florida and quickly hang more NCAA Championship banners from the rafters at Rupp Arena ... or he'll soon be sent looking for a new job with less pressure - like the University of Minnesota, where his possible predecessor, the talented and gentlemanly Tubby Smith, was summarily dispatched into exile for failing to bring home more banners.
If it is a purely financial decision, I imagine his wife has already started packing. Kentucky will gladly be willing to make him the highest paid coach in the country by a wide margin.
In Billy's case, I suspect it will be the challenge of returning the country's top program back to the lofty levels expected annually in Lexington versus the desire to enjoy his family life.
There will likely be no chance of a "three-peat" as Florida will graduate (or at least lose to the NBA) at least three (if not all) of its starting lineup from the last two years. Rebuilding in Gainesville will be his task in the coming monthns and years.
He's really got little left to accomplish at Florida and I can't imagine him working there for another 20+ years and becoming a wizened old dean of coaches. His obvious over-achieving, type-A personality requires a new challenge to get him out of bed in the wee hours of each morning.
I suspect (and predict) it'll either be "Billy Ball" time in the Bluegrass soon or somewhere else ... like the Miami Heat where Coach & General Manager, Pat Riley (a UK alum), is a Donovan confidant and mentor.
As a "dyed in the wool" Kentucky Wildcat fan, I hope he'll find a home in the lush green fields of horse country. Maybe Seth Hancock (Kentucky Uber-Booster) will just buy him a nice horsefarm as a deal sweetener.
If he accepts the keys to the bank that Kentucky has to offer, I truly hope he's fully aware of the staggering expectations of the Wildcat faithful who see any season that does not include at least a Final Four as a miserable failure and are intolerant of anything less.
Even I, ever-patient though I may be (NOT!), feel that way too. Even though I think Tubby is a great coach, I was ready for him to leave and make room for someone else to give it a try.
I sold cokes at Memorial Coliseum (Rupp Arena's ancestor) in '66 when Rupp's Runts were finally beaten in the NCAA finals by Texas Western (memorialized in the movie Glory Road) and grew up keeping score for away games in a spiral notebook.
Every kid whose ever held a basketball in Kentucky, wants to shoot a three in heavy traffic wearing Wildcat blue. C'mon Billy, show 'em how it's done! Head on up to Rupp; rebuild the dynasty and cement your position as the greatest coach ever in college basketball. History and destiny await you!
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