On Saturday, Billy Donovan—who led Florida men’s basketball for nearly two decades—was officially named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Donovan’s tenure from 1996 to 2015 included two national championships, four Final Four appearances, six Southeastern Conference regular season titles, four SEC Tournament crowns, and a total of 467 wins.

The timing couldn’t be more fitting: Florida is back in the Final Four for the first time since Donovan guided the team there in 2014.

During his 19 seasons in Gainesville, Donovan propelled the Gators to five No. 1 national rankings, 16 consecutive 20-win seasons, and 17 straight postseason appearances. His 467 victories as an SEC head coach rank second only to Adolph Rupp, with only Rupp and Joe B. Hall claiming more SEC titles.

Florida’s transformation began on March 27, 1996, when athletic director Jeremy Foley hired Donovan—a rising star who would elevate the program to elite status. What once seemed out of reach became routine under his leadership.

On February 28, 2015, Donovan joined Bob Knight as one of only two coaches to reach 500 Division I wins before turning 50. In 2007, Florida became the first team in 15 years to win back-to-back NCAA titles, joining an exclusive group of just seven programs to do so.

Donovan’s winning legacy spans multiple roles and institutions:

• At Providence College, he led the Friars to their best season ever and a Final Four berth in 1987.
• As a New York Knick, he competed among NBA greats.
• At Kentucky, he served as an assistant during the Wildcats’ 1993 Final Four run.
• At Marshall, he revitalized a struggling program, winning over 60% of his games in just two seasons.

Then came Gainesville, where Donovan sparked a basketball renaissance.

Florida set a school record with 17 straight postseason appearances from 1997 to 2014, including 14 NCAA Tournament bids and six Elite Eight finishes between 2006 and 2014. The Gators also posted 16 straight 20-win seasons from 1998 to 2014.

The program’s first-ever national championship game appearance came in 2000, followed by title wins in 2006 and 2007. Donovan’s 35 NCAA Tournament victories remain the most by any SEC coach, and his 467 total wins trail only Rupp in league history.

Before Donovan’s arrival, Florida had just one SEC championship in 77 seasons. He added six more (2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014). Only Florida and Kentucky have won back-to-back SEC titles in the past 35 years, and Florida’s run of three outright titles in four seasons (2011, 2013, 2014) was unmatched since Kentucky’s stretch from 1995 to 1998.

Since leaving Florida in 2015, Donovan has continued his coaching journey in the NBA. He won 400 games over five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and is approaching that milestone again in his fifth season with the Chicago Bulls.

2025 Hall of Fame Class
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard

Billy Donovan
Sue Bird
Maya Moore
Sylvia Fowles
2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Team
Danny Crawford
Micky Arison