Florida Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan could be NBA shopping again in the "O" department.
CBSSports.com is reporting that the Oklahoma City Thunder, who fired Coach Scott Brooks after seven years at the helm, could turn the controls over to Donovan, who already has been an NBA coach. At least for a couple of days.
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After winning back-to-back nationals championships with Florida in 2006 and 2007, Donovan accepted the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic.
After a few days, however, Donovan had a change of heart and went back to Florida. As part of his agreement that allowed him to break his contract with the Magic, Donovan had to agree that he wouldn't take another NBA job for five years.
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But five years have passed, and Donovan said last year to the Orlando Sentinel during the Gators' run to the Final Four that he still pondered what it would be like to coach in the NBA.
"The intriguing part of the NBA to me is just the fact that it's basketball 24 hours a day," Donovan said in Orlando during the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Sentinel reported. "That's all you're dealing with is basketball. There's a lot more that goes into a college coaching job other than the coaching part of it.
"There are a lot of other things you have to do."
The Thunder job has shifted to Donovan in part because of the statement issued by UConn coach Kevin Ollie saying he is not pursuing other coaching opportunities, as reported by SI.com. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, however, said Ollie is interested in OKC.
Donovan has not said anything publicly. A University of Florida spokesman said Donovan was on the road recruiting. The Gators finished 16-17 in 2014-15, their first losing season since 1997-98. The school recently gave him a one-year contract extension through 2020 that would pay $4 million per year.
However, his buyout from the school is only $500,000, the Sentinel reported.
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