Before Billy Donovan is inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next weekend, the legendary Florida men’s basketball coach will stop by The Swamp for Florida football’s season opener.
Between the first and second quarter, Donovan will “give a wave” to the crowd as an honored guest, according to the University Athletic Association. Then, he’s off to Springfield, Massachusetts, to begin ceremony preparations. Training camp with his Chicago Bulls starts Oct. 1, which explains why Donovan isn’t appearing at a more prestigious game.
Donovan, 60, is the first player or coach associated with the University of Florida to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He helped turn Florida into a powerhouse in the 2000s, leading the program to back-to-back national championships in 2006-07. His 467 wins and 71.5% win rate remain atop the Florida record books.
He even played a role in the most recent championship run for Florida despite not being with the team since 2010. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin used Donovan as a resource when hiring Todd Golden. Stricklin advised Golden on what he believed to be the keys to success in coaching at Florida. Golden went on to hire Donovan’s old point guard, Taurean Green, as the director of player development.
The rest is history. Golden followed in Donovan’s footsteps and reached the peak of college basketball. The only difference is that Donovan did it twice in a row.
Starting the season off with a face that epitomizes Florida’s athletic success from the 2000s will hopefully be a good omen for the year to come.
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