Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John Donovan, Jr.is an American professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He previously spent 19 seasons at the University of Florida, where his Florida Gators men's basketball teams won two NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships in 2006 and 2007. Donovan has more wins than any other coach in the history of the Florida basketball program, and he coached the Gators to more NCAA tournament appearances,...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth30 May 1965
CityRockville Centre, NY
I don't think anybody beating anybody is going to be a surprise to any coach in this league because of the balance and the parity between the 12 teams in the league.
Every minute of it. I'm thrilled, I really am. Hopefully with the job he's done, it will bode well for (assistants) Anthony Grant and Donnie Jones and other coaches who have been here.
We missed so many easy baskets around the rim at first. We did a much better job in the second half of getting the ball inside and rebounding. As a coaching staff, we have to keep our guys upbeat and not let them get frustrated.
We have entered a stage right now in college basketball where 15 years ago, it would have been maybe totally no way George Mason could go to the Final Four. It just goes to show how many good coaches there are out there, how many good players there are out there. On any given night, anybody can beat anybody.
I am happy I can be a part of the first-ever national championship. I am fortunate to coach an unbelievable group of guys. We appreciate your support and love and are happy to be part of a special university.
Chris, really, to be honest with you, was a very, very difficult guy to coach in his first two years here. And he has really grown.
We didn't want to put David into the game, but we didn't have much of a choice. Anthony (associate coach Anthony Grant) was out of eligibility.
False Hustle = cheap fouls, lunging, reaching, etc.
I thought that they basically beat us in just about every facet of the game. For whatever reason, we didn't have it tonight, and I think as individuals, as a team, as a coaching staff, we have to take a level of responsibility in this performance.
It is so hard when you have departures all the time to stay at the highest level. It's almost like coaching junior college now, and people want to level to stay up high.
I don't think you can win without it. That's the biggest challenge we as coaches face every year.
I get great pleasure seeing our kids enjoy the game. It's not about me or how young I am. But it's about the people you coach all the time, and I get a lot of pleasure seeing our kids celebrate.
He's as good a shooter as anyone I've coached since I've been here. He can line up in shoot with anybody in the United States of America.
I always felt I was going to have a lot of fun coaching these guys. They've had the right attitude, and winning has been the byproduct of it.