Billy Donovan is set to wrap up his sixth season as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls and it’s been another year of the rebuild. The Bulls are set to be in the lottery again and another year of disappointment.
Chicago is committed to Donovan despite a tear down after the trades they made. The two sides agreed to a contract extension this past July to keep Donovan here longer but there could be an opportunity for him in the college game. And it’s with one of the most prestigious programs in the game.
With North Carolina expected to move on from Hubert Davis, Donovan’s name will likely come up as a candidate. Some are already connecting him to the job.
Will UNC pursue Billy Donovan?
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan yells at an official during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
The Tar Heels blowing a 19-point lead to VCU in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday may have been it for Davis. Per multiple reports, the program is leaning towards moving on from the head coach after five seasons. No official lists of replacements are out there yet but one writer believes Donovan should be a candidate.
Bill Bender of The Sporting News listed Donovan among his candidates:
Donovan, 60, is the oldest candidate on this list. He’s also the only one with two national championships. He won two national championships at Florida. He has been a NBA coach with Oklahoma City and Chicago – but the Bulls are close to missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Donovan could return to the college game – and maybe he should – and UNC would be a good landing spot.
He makes a good point. Donovan does have college experience, and a lot of it. He led Florida to back-to-back national championships and proved to be a really good coach at the college level.
Donovan made the jump to the NBA level in 2015 where he took the Oklahoma City Thunder job until 2020. In his college career, Donovan went 502-206 over 21 seasons.
It’s very early and there are no indications that Donovan is even interested in the North Carolina job. However, don’t be surprised if his name does pop up at some point if the job is open.
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