Billy Donovan, who won 467 games, six SEC titles and two NCAA championships over his 19 seasons at Florida before leaving for the NBA, will be inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame next weekend as a member of its Class of 2025. [Chicago Bulls photo]
Honoring a Florida Legend Under the Lights of the Swamp
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Just five months ago, a Florida men's basketball coach stepped onto Steve Spurrier/Florida Field to celebrate a newly earned NCAA championship. The moment still resonates across Gator Nation, especially inside the Hugh Hathcock Basketball Complex, where the echoes of that March Madness triumph linger.
But this Saturday, the spotlight shifts—with all due respect to Todd Golden, who currently holds the crown in college hoops—to the coach who transformed Florida basketball from an underdog program into a national powerhouse. The one who made championship dreams a reality.
Billy Donovan, the most successful coach in UF history, will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, becoming the first player or coach with Florida ties to receive the honor. Before that, he’ll make a stop at "The Swamp" during the Gators’ season opener against Long Island, where he’ll be recognized between the first and second quarters with what’s sure to be a roaring ovation from a sold-out crowd.
This weekend marks Donovan’s only chance to attend a home game, given his commitments to Hall of Fame festivities on Sept. 4–5 and the start of Chicago Bulls training camp on Oct. 1. His schedule is packed, but his connection to Gainesville remains strong—and the fans haven’t forgotten.
"It's very humbling," Donovan said, reflecting on his journey. Over 19 seasons at UF, he compiled a 467–186 record (and 502–206 overall) before heading to the NBA in 2015. "You don't get into the game thinking that you're one day going to be in any Hall of Fame. You do it because you love it."
Billy Donovan’s love for basketball was undeniable—and the game returned the favor. Once a lightly recruited point guard from Long Island, “Billy the Kid” carved out a standout collegiate career under Rick Pitino at Providence, then launched into coaching as Pitino’s assistant at Kentucky. That path led to his first head coaching role at Marshall, and eventually to Florida, a program with little basketball tradition at the time.
Donovan didn’t just elevate UF—he flipped the Southeastern Conference on its head, guiding the Gators to six league titles, four Final Four appearances, and back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007
In the modern era of college basketball, Donovan joins elite company: John Wooden (UCLA), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), and Dan Hurley (Connecticut)—the only coaches to win consecutive NCAA titles. Florida’s second championship, now 18 years old, stood as the pinnacle of the program’s history.
That moment gained a worthy companion on April 7, when Florida captured its third national title.
Billy Donovan hoists the first of his two consecutive NCAA championship trophies, this one after defeating UCLA in the 2006 title game.
“Coach Donovan set the standard,” said current head coach Todd Golden. “He is the face of Florida basketball and there are some pretty high expectations now because of what he was able to do during his time here.”
Golden met that standard in San Antonio, Texas, where the Gators claimed their latest NCAA crown. Fittingly, the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2025—featuring Donovan, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Micky Arison, and the 2008 USA Olympic Team—was announced during the lead-up to the Final Four. Donovan, the program’s foundational figure, was there in person, seated behind the UF bench, as Florida rallied past Auburn in the semifinals..
The 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame class was introduced at the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5.
From left: Julius Erving (board member), Micky Arison (Miami Heat owner), Mike Kzyzewski (coach of the 2008 USA Olympic so-called "Redeem Team"), Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse and NBA star), Joey Crawford (NBA official), Billy Donovan (Providence standout and Florida coach) and Dwight Howard (NBA star).
Just two nights after witnessing Florida’s dramatic semifinal win in person, Billy Donovan was back on duty with the Chicago Bulls—watching from afar as the top-seeded Gators completed a thrilling comeback to defeat 1-seed Houston and claim the national championship. Florida trailed in the second half of four of its final five NCAA Tournament games, including a 12-point deficit in the title game.
“I watched the second half of the national-championship game and the announcers made a comment: ‘This is Florida’s first lead of the game.’ Your first lead? With a minute to go in the game? Incredible,” Donovan said, referencing the moment UF took control with just 46 seconds remaining. “Talk about the idea of just going for it. You have to have guys that have that kind of mentality. Sometimes the moment is too big, but those guys immersed themselves in the moment.”
Among those players, Walter Clayton Jr. stood out. Named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Clayton was later selected in the first round of the NBA Draft and will soon be on Donovan’s radar with the Utah Jazz.
“I always loved him and the thing I loved about him was he just seemed really competitive, fearless and had great belief,” Donovan said. “That’s what came across to me. A big shot-maker who really leaned into the biggest moments. I just love that in guys. The confidence. He always appeared on the court very calm, under control and never rattled.”
Donovan, who turned 60 in May, also offered high praise for Todd Golden, the coach who led Florida to its third NCAA title. “I really didn’t know Todd or much about him,” Donovan admitted, recalling the coaching search that followed Mike White’s departure in 2022. But Golden’s impact is now undeniable.
Gators coach Todd Golden during the national-championship celebration at halftime of the annual Orange & Blue Spring Game at Spurrier/Florida Field on April 12.
When UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and his search team focused in on Todd Golden, then in his third year leading San Francisco, he reached out to Billy Donovan—a gesture that served both as a courtesy and a request.
“He wanted me to be a resource,” Donovan said.
Golden was seeking insight from someone who understood the unique challenges of coaching at Florida and competing in the Southeastern Conference—not just surviving, but thriving.
Though Donovan hadn’t navigated the transfer portal era, his advice was clear: prioritize recruiting top talent from within the state, pursue elite prospects nationally, and most importantly, reconnect with Florida’s basketball greats—bring them back to campus and make them part of the program’s culture.
Todd Golden didn’t just take Billy Donovan’s advice—he ran with it. Over the past three seasons, multiple former players have returned to campus, reconnecting with the program and helping build a stronger Gator basketball community. One of the most impactful moves? Hiring Taurean Green, Donovan’s championship-winning point guard, first as director of player development, then promoting him to assistant coach. A UF Hall of Famer, Green became a vital link to the program’s past and helped reignite the orange-and-blue brotherhood.
“We’ve welcomed guys back with open arms and it’s been great. Plus, we’re winning and we got a really good buzz right now,” Green said. “I think it’s also a testament to the guys on the team last year. They lived up to the standard that Coach D set when he was here.”
Then came the grin—and the line that connected two title eras:
“Those Gator boys stayed hot,” Green said.
During his brief return to Gainesville, Billy Donovan will likely be asked to compare his championship teams to those of Todd Golden. He’ll be gracious—but also candid.
“I’m biased,” Donovan admitted.
And that’s perfectly fair.
His first title team began the season unranked, with little outside expectation, and climbed all the way to the top. The second entered the year ranked No. 1, burdened with the pressure to repeat and nowhere to go but down. “We did it both ways,” Donovan said.
Billy Donovan's last triumphant return to UF came Feb. 15, 2020 when the court at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center was named in his honor.
In doing so, they proved it could be done—twice, at Florida. It remains one of the most remarkable accomplishments in the rich history of UF Athletics.
What happened five months ago was just as electrifying—and just as affirming. It reestablished the championship standard Donovan brought to Gainesville nearly 30 years ago. Welcome back, Billy D. And thank you.
“To me, the program doesn’t get enough respect because it’s not a quote-unquote blue blood school,” Donovan said. “You can sit there and say, in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, Florida didn’t have what UCLA and Kentucky and Kansas had. That’s fine. Those places had done it for a hundred years. But look at what Florida has done over the last 30 years. You can say, yeah, Florida is right there.”
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
