PHOENIX – Bradley Beal exited the Suns locker room Wednesday at PHX Arena with a smile on his face and a Gators T-shirt wrapped around his neck following the Phoenix’s win over the Chicago Bulls. The shirt features caricatures of many players on this year’s team alongside Florida head coach …
Read More »Bulls’ Donovan ‘Really Happy’ for Gators’ Basketball Resurgence
PHOENIX — On the eve of the NCAA tournament, former UF and current Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shared his thoughts on this year’s Florida men’s basketball team. “I mean, I was really really happy for them,” the former UF coach said before Chicago’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns on …
Read More »Program Builders: 2000 UF Team Looks Back On 25th Anniversary Of Magical NCAA Run
When Billy Donovan took over as the coach of the Florida men’s program in 1996, the Gators were far from a household name in college basketball. At the time, Florida had made only five NCAA Tournament appearances in its history and it was considered a “football school.” But by Donovan’s …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s High Five: SEC Coach Of The Year
Florida’s win against Alabama on Wednesday night was one more huge milestone for coach Todd Golden. He may look like he is 18, but he’s coaching like he has been doing it for 18 years. He already is making history, winning more than any other Florida coach in his first …
Read More »Donovan Finalist For Naismith Hall Of Fame
Former Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan was named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Professional Career After his time with the Gators, Donovan moved to the NBA to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015-2020. He signed a five-year contract, worth nearly $30 million …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s High Five: Favorite Florida Men’s Basketball Teams
They have a chance. To make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? Sure. To win it all? Why not? But this Gator basketball team – most importantly – has a chance to slip into my personal top five Florida hoops teams of all time. The High Five looks at …
Read More »Billy Donovan Expected to Remain With Chicago Bulls
Billy Donovan, former two-time national champion head coach for the Gators and current head coach of the Chicago Bulls, was asked Tuesday about his name being thrown around for the Kentucky head coaching job. While Donovan didn’t completely shut it down, he implied heavily against it. https://twitter.com/MichaelEppsTV/status/1777846387851325924 Coaching History & …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s High Five: These UF NCAA Tournament Loses Still Sting
A week ago today I received a text from a good buddy who was a classmate of mine. “This one stings,” was how the text ended. Yeah, that 102-100 loss to Colorado in the NCAA Tournament did sting a lot and was not easy to get over. It felt like …
Read More »SMU Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rob Lanier Fired
After two seasons coaching ACC-bound Southern Methodist University’s men’s basketball team, Rob Lanier was fired Thursday. Lanier was an assistant coach for the Gators back in 2011. Lanier Leading the Mustangs This season, the SMU Mustangs lost the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday to Indiana State …
Read More »Former Florida Assistant Coach Leads Stetson To Its First March Madness
Former Florida Gators men’s basketball assistant coach Donnie Jones made history with Stetson’s program last week by leading the Hatters to their first NCAA Tournament. https://twitter.com/marchmadnessmbb/status/1766924201741434950?s=42 Jones was an assistant coach from 1996-2006 and the Associate Head Coach during the 2006-07 season for the Gators under Billy Donovan. Jones …
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