Billy's Back!

So, in last Thursday's post, I was clearly quite angry at Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan. Angry and confused, I lashed out -- I couldn't understand why the man would want to leave the greatest job he'll ever have.

Couldn't comprehend why he'd want to leave a place where he's treated like a god, a place where his name will grace the court someday, in exchange for the NBA and it's spoiled, unmanageable whiny millionaires.

Turns out, he didn't. The next day after signing a contract with the NBA's Orlando Magic, Billy realized he'd made a mistake. And after a few days of legal wrangling, the Magic released him from his contract, allowing him to return to UF, and college basketball, where he belongs.

He's taken a lot of heat for this, of course. Sports columnists and people on sports message boards are calling him a "flip-flopper," a "waffler," "unprofessional," and many, many worse things. But isn't this still America? Isn't a man allowed to change his mind? Would it have been better for him to coach the Magic even though he didn't want to be there? Does any team, college or professional, want a coach that's not 100% committed?

This is what coaches do. They change their minds and break contracts when something else appeals to them. I mean, Billy Donovan still had two years remaining on his original UF contract, which he would have broken to take the Magic job. Sure, most coaches don't break a contract after 3 days, but it's not unprecedented.

In the end, everything works out OK. The Magic signed their second choice for a head coach, Stan Van Gundy. With his previous NBA experience, he may turn out to be a better fit for the Magic anyway. Billy D stays at Florida, and can assure future recruits he's not going anywhere for a while -- terms of his deal with the Magic forbid him from coaching in the NBA for the next five years. And as we saw when Kentucky tried to take him away, Billy's not interested in a demotion to any other college campus.

In fact, I don't think he'll coach anywhere else than the University of Florida ever. And for the Gator Nation, hearing him say these words gives us chills:

"As long as the University of Florida wants me, this is where I want to be. I think you throw out the word forever and there is a fine line to that, but in my heart I want to be at the University of Florida for the rest of my time coaching."

The "year of the Gator" continues into its fourteenth month. I also find it quite interesting that the Gators' most incredible year ever has coincided with our daughter Sophie's first year. She must be a good luck Gator.