Welcome Home Billy D & Congratulations!

I’ve been following sports my whole life. Both my parents were Gators, so I’ve been a Gator since I was five. When Billy Donovan left the Gators for the Orlando Magic, I was not surprised. A college coach cashing in on his success by jumping to the pros? I’ve seen that story a thousand times, and sadly, I was half-expecting it. When the reports of Billy going to Memphis came out, I knew he wasn’t going to coach the Grizz, but it showed that he was willing to talk to an NBA team. When Billy and Orlando got put in the same sentence, I knew he was gone.

But then something miraculous happened. He came back. In all my time following sports, that is something I haven’t seen before. A coach realizing he made a mistake (before it was too late!), and going back to his old job? That just doesn’t happen. So when the story “Billy Donovan having second thoughts” crawled across the ESPN ticker, I literally could not believe it. He’s coming back? He’s coming back! The greatest coach in college basketball is coming back to Florida! I couldn’t be happier.

The only question was – Why? I knew why Donovan left – the challenge of the pros, a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay in Florida and coach Dwight Howard, a hefty pay raise. These things I can understand. But why did he come back? Surely, there was something I wasn’t seeing. It couldn’t just be love for the Gators, for college basketball. This man would breach a contract, perhaps ruin his chances with the NBA just to come back to Florida?

“I woke up in the morning and felt this isn’t right. This isn’t in my heart. I slept on and off all night,” said Donovan. “I’ve always had my heart into it, and I’ve worked really hard. When I went to Marshall and Florida I was [into it]. I made those decisions because my heart was into it. And my heart not being into it bothered me.”

To me, it’s clear that Billy Donovan left the Gators because he is a man who craves new challenges. And it’s just as clear that the reason he came back is because he truly couldn’t stand to leave. He broke down crying at his press conference in Gainesville, and that was that. Donovan is a Gator through and through and I for one am glad to have him back.

Sport is a funny thing, though. One day, you are unquestionably loved by an entire fan base. But switch teams, get traded, or make a bad play at a crucial time, and millions of strangers who once cheered you with all their might might be cursing your name for the rest of their lives.

“Billy Donovan’s a Magic Asshole!” proclaimed one Facebook group, made up of UF students. “Donovan’s a douche,” cried another.

For five days, the sting of Billy’s sudden departure had caused many to spew online venom. Will they harbor a grudge toward the coach that won them two titles, or will they forget everything as soon as the winning starts anew? And what of the Magic? Are they not the victims of Billy’s fickle nature?

No, the Magic should laud Billy’s change of heart, as should Gators fans. The Magic still got their second choice, Stan Van Gundy, Gators fans got to see that their coach truly loves their school, and no one had to sit through Billy Donovan pulling a Nick Saban.

“As long as the University of Florida would like to have me here, this is where I want to be,” Donovan said. “For my part, I want to be at the University of Florida for the rest of my time coaching.”

Amen.

* Quotes pulled from Andy Katz’s excellent reporting of this entire saga on espn.com.