Getty Head coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is a wanted man on the coaching market.
Following John Calipari’s exit from Kentucky for Arkansas, Donovan has emerged as a “hail mary” candidate to replace him, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel on April 8.
Donovan coached the University of Florida for 19 seasons, leading them to back-to-back championships in 2005-06 and 2006-07. One of his former Gators players, Chandler Parsons, now an analyst for FanDuel TV, was staunchly against his former coach switching sides.
“No. F*** no,” Parsons said on “Run It Back” on April 8. “You don’t go to Kentucky from Florida. No way. I’ll never talk to him again if he takes that job. But it’d be a great job.
“You don’t go [from] Florida to Kentucky, you don’t go from Florida to Florida State.”
Parsons, who played for Donovan from 2008 through 2011 before making the jump to the NBA, admitted he would talk to the current Bulls coach again if he took the position to lead the Wildcats.
Donovan also has a history with the school, beginning his coaching career with the university in 1987 after his playing career.
Billy Donovan is Kentucky’s ‘Dream Candidate’ for Head Coaching Job
Donovan is one of nine candidates listed on The Athletic’s “call list” of potential candidates to replace Calipari
“The dream candidate for Kentucky fans ever since … oh, about 2007. Donovan was a Kentucky assistant under Rick Pitino and doesn’t have the baggage of his former boss,” The Athletic’s college basketball staff wrote on April 7. “But would he leave the NBA for the fishbowl of Lexington? Does he have any interest in returning to college? It seems unlikely, but [Athletic Director Mitch] Barnhart has to at least make the call and make him say no.”
Donovan last coached college ball in 2014-15 and has noted the vastly different landscape.
He also parted ways with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021 ahead of the organization’s rebuild, landing with the Bulls in a late development.
“Donovan is the pie-in-the-sky option here,” The Athletic staff wrote.
Donovan’s future with the Bulls appears as secure as ever. He signed a contract extension ahead of last season and the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley reported on April 3 that the coach’s job is “100%” safe.
That, of course, assumes Donovan wants to return.
Billy Donovan Concedes Disappointment of Bulls’ Season
He has not suggested he is looking for an exit. But he has admitted to the disappointment of this season as the Bulls head for another .500 finish at best.
“‘I certainly didn’t come here … to say, ‘Hey, listen, let’s be a play-in team.’ When I sat down first with [executive vice president of basketball operations] Arturas [Karnisovas] and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] about this, it was to try and build something,” Donovan said, per Cowley on April 7. “I still feel like we’re building something, but I don’t think anyone is happy with where we’re at.’’
The Bulls are mired in arguably their worst stretch in their 58-season history.
Donovan has been at the helm of the Bulls for the last three years. Perhaps there is a greater possibility he decides to move on than it appears. A move to Kentucky and the college ranks seems unlikely though.