In what ESPN’s Andy Katz charitably describes as “a public relations hit to a franchise that needed a pop” it appears as though Billy Donovan has reconsidered his decison to leave the University Of Florida for the Orlando Magic’s head coaching position. Wasting little time, the Orlando Sentinel’s Dave Curtis and Lynn Hoppes report the franchise will make an overture to another coach with a Sunshine State pedigree.
Former Miami Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy is on the verge of being offered the seemingly vacant Magic coaching job.
Van Gundy told the Sentinel on Monday morning that he couldn’t comment on the situation. However, a source told the Sentinel that Billy Donovan and Van Gundy were the only two people interviewed for the job. So, once the Donovan situation started to unravel, it was clear that Van Gundy would rise to become the top choice.
The Orlando Sentinel’s Brian Schmitz seems to imply Donovan’s flip flop might never have occurred had the Magic merely tied him to a chair over the weekend.
I don’t know what happened to Billy D. I wonder if it had been different if the Magic had put him to work immediately instead of letting him go back to Gainesville hours later for a UF goodbye news conference?
Something happened Saturday to Donovan.
Over the weekend, the Gators were curiously taking their time hiring former UF assistant Anthony Grant — now we know why. Billy wanted to come back.
Reports are that UF AD Jeremy Foley flew to Virginia to fetch Grant — the Virginia Commonwealth coach — but didn’t leave with him. Foley said he had an emergency — and that emergency turned out to be the Magic’s emergency as well.
Billy wanted out to back out of one deal and back into another