Univ. of Florida men's basketball coach Billy Donovan will "become the third coach in Thunder history after agreeing to a multi-year deal with the team" Thursday for a reported five years and $30M, according to Darnell Mayberry of the OKLAHOMAN. The coaching search started with Thunder GM Sam Presti saying that he "wouldn't limit the scope of candidates he would consider." It appears a "pre-existing relationship between Presti and Donovan won out." The Thunder are "betting on Donovan fitting in with the team's culture and, more importantly, building on that culture and pushing the franchise to an elusive first championship." But it is a "substantial gamble" for the team, which "faces an uncertain future" with F Kevin Durant (OKLAHOMAN, 5/1). YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski writes Donovan "never yearned to run an organization," but he "wanted to win, and wanted a general manager he could trust with personnel decisions and deal-making." Donovan and Presti for years have been "magnets pulling closer and closer." Several NBA coaches who "know Donovan well believe he has the perfect blend of acumen and humility to make the transition to the pros" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/1). ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan said of reports that Presti did not consult with his star players about the Donovan hiring, “Presti is a very conservative guy, keeps everything close to the vest, but that doesn't mean he’s not communicating with his players on a daily basis. I find that hard to believe they didn't have some idea where he was going with this and why he was doing it.” MacMullan: “Any smart GM, especially one who is going to have Kevin Durant as a free agent next summer, I'm sure that they discussed it just a little bit” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 4/30).
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: Durant said of Donovan, "I’ve heard good things about him. I’m sure we’ll click pretty quickly. But I don’t have a relationship with him. I don’t know him. He didn’t recruit me at Florida." The OKLAHOMAN's Mayberry notes Durant "downplayed Donovan's lack of NBA coaching experience, which has become a bit of a red flag among some fans" (OKLAHOMAN, 5/1). But in Oklahoma, Berry Tramel writes NBA franchises are "getting their coaches from all sorts of outposts these days," and NBA experience "doesn’t matter as much as it once did" (OKLAHOMAN, 5/1). Also in Oklahoma, Jenni Carlson writes the Thunder's collection of players "made pulling the trigger on this hire a whole lot easier" for Presti, who "knows the quality in his locker room goes beyond talent level." He "knows these guys are seasoned players and solid individuals" (OKLAHOMAN, 5/1).
SWAMP MUSIC: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes Donovan leaves UF after "doing all he could to turn a football school into a basketball one -- and coming close to doing so on more than one occasion." Jones: "Who can blame him? He has done all he can at Gainesville." Donovan "won and he won with class" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/1).
