NEW YORK –– Florida coach Billy Donovan seems more focused on trying to land stud recruit Brandon Knight than he is on becoming the next coach at St. John’s.
Despite a published report to the contrary, St. John’s AD Chris Monasch has not contacted Jeremy Foley, his counterpart at Florida, for permission to speak with Donovan, a St. John’s spokesman said.
“I am very happy here, and we have a very good team coming back next season,” Donovan told Lenn Robbins of the Post in a text message. “St. John’s has a great tradition, and I have great respect for that program.”
Knicks center David Lee, a former Florida star, also said he thought it was unlikely Donovan would replace Norm Roberts, who was fired late Thursday after six seasons at the Queens school.
“I really don’t [think he would take the job]. I don’t,” Lee said Sunday after the Rockets downed the Knicks, 116-112, in a matchup of former players. “I know he still has a lot of family and friends up here, but I know he loves it down in Florida…I would think he would be in Florida.”
Another source close to Donovan said he “would seriously doubt it,” in reference to Donovan’s interest in the St. John’s job.
Donovan previously turned down coaching opportunities with the Orlando Magic (after initially signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract) and Kentucky.
The Post reported that St. John’s is willing to pay $1.6 million annually for a new coach with a proven track record of NCAA tournament success. Donovan reportedly makes $3.5 million at Florida.
Donovan, who was born and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island and has a history of success recruiting New York-area players, won the NCAA title in 2006 and ’07. This year the Gators lost in the first round to BYU in double-OT.
If Donovan doesn’t work out, the Johnnies are expected to target Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt and Hofstra coach Tom Pecora. As of Sunday afternoon, both Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech were still in the postseason.
Donovan desperately needs help in the backcourt at Florida and still retains hope that Knight, the No. 1 prospect in the nation out of Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest, will choose the Gators over Kentucky, Kansas, UConn and Syracuse.
“I’ve got to do a better job, you know, providing a little bit more depth to our team,” Donovan told the Miami Herald Thursday. “That’s definitely something we need. We need depth in our backcourt.”
The 6-4 Knight has not given a timetable on when he will announce.
“I look at making this decision as one of the most important decisions I”ll make in my life,” Knight recently said in SLAM magazine. “As a result, I am being very patient so I will make the right decision and go to a place that will best benefit me as a person, student and athlete.”
(Photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel)
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BostonCat / March 21, 2010
billy wont go anywhere. he is getting 3+ million a year at a football school with zero pressure to win. uf will never be able to bring in a coach better then billy and he knows it. its a sweet gig.
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RockChalkWoody / March 21, 2010
Too bad Rick Barnes can’t get a gig like that…oh, wait.
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Wheatgerm / March 21, 2010
Well, to be fair, Donovan accepted the coaching opportunity with the Orlando Magic. Signed a 5-year $27.5 million contract, and was officially introduced as the head coach. Then changed his mind, and the Magic allowed him to back out of the contract with a stipulation that prohibited him from coaching in the NBA for five years, or through 2012. So he turned down the opportunity … after he took it.
Here’s what Donovan said at the Magic press conference:
“Personally this was very difficult for me because my 11 years at Florida were a very great 11 years. But I really looked at myself in a couple of aspects; one, the easy decision for me personally would have been to stay at Florida, or the next step would be to do something that would really challenge me as a person and coach and help me me grow and get better. And I’ve always been intrigued by the NBA. To leave Florida would have taken something very, very special.”
Donovan’s father said: “I can’t tell you how excruciating this was for him. He went back and forth for so long on it. But the recruiting really takes a toll on a coach and hopefully he can spend more time with his family now.”
Or not.
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AGinNYC / March 21, 2010
Donovan’s not an idiot. Taking the job at St. John’s is a major step down from where he is and would move him from the top of the SEC to the bottom of the Big East. Same is true for Hewitt and the ACC. IMHO it would be career suicide for both of them.
As for Donovan, the talent in the NYC area isn’t all that great and he’s already getting plenty of kids to come to Florida from all over the country, Northeast included.
As we saw with the Orlando gig, the only way Donovan is willing to even consider going anywhere is for major $$$.
If I were the St. John’s AD I would be scouring the mid-major ranks to get a coach from a school like Siena. Butler’s Coach Stevens seems like a great choice but I’m not sure he would leave for anything less than a championship contender.
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UofA BJ / March 22, 2010
Donovan might not be a idiot, but he did pull that crazy ordeal with the magic and he hasnt won a thing since.And we all know orlando is a contender so he seems to have made the wrong choice.But if he lands Brandon Knight that would go a long way in turning things around.
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jdfla / March 22, 2010
Well if Brandon wants to go to a place “that will best benefit me as a person, student and athlete” as he says that place is the University of Florida and not the others.
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Michael / March 23, 2010
Okay if you say so JD
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