Thursday, April 05, 2007

Billy Donovan stays put

At least, that's what Andy Katz is reporting for ESPN.
"After finally having an opportunity to sit down with my family, and with [Florida athletic director] Jeremy Foley, I've decided that I will remain at the University of Florida," said Donovan, who served as an assistant under Rick Pitino at Kentucky. "I have great respect for the University of Kentucky, its great history and tradition, and I had five wonderful years in Lexington. That being said, I'm very proud of what we've built here at the University of Florida and I look forward to continuing build on it."
Mitch Barnhart released the following statement:
“Throughout this process, our focus has been on finding the right person to lead college basketball’s most storied program. We have had productive conversations with various individuals over the last two weeks, and it’s obvious there are a number of outstanding coaches who could succeed at Kentucky. With the nation’s most passionate fan support and unmatched facilities, I’m confident we’ll find the right man.

“I had a conversation with Billy Donovan today to gauge any interest he might have in the head coaching position at Kentucky. Billy informed me that he intends to stay in Gainesville. As a former UK assistant, we wish him the very best.

“Obviously, finding the right coach is more important than finding the next coach quickly. Patience remains a priority as we continue to identify the best individual to lead the Big Blue Nation.”
Next up on the list is either Billy Gillispie, Rick Barnes, or Tom Izzo. A lot of the fan base have said that they would not be satisfied with either Tom Izzo or Tom Crean as coach of the program.

Jeff Goodman reports that the Florida foursome will be going to the NBA.

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