UF to Honor Hall of Fame-Bound Billy Donovan Against LIU
As Gators football gets set to kick off the new season Saturday against Long Island, UF plans to celebrate the return of former men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan to The Swamp.
An in-game celebration at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will honor Donovan as a member of the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class.
In his 19-year tenure as the head coach of Florida men’s basketball, Donovan brought a fresh sense of winning to Gainesville. Just look at the numbers. With a record of 467-186, Donovan ranks second all-time in the SEC, solely behind Adolph Rupp’s 876 at Kentucky.
The Gators reached new heights in postseason action under Donovan, winning four SEC titles as well as making four Final Four appearances. Most notably, his back-to-back national championship runs in the 2006 and 2007 seasons were Florida’s first championships in the sport.
After the 2015 season, he left for the NBA, guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs in each of his five years there. After earning NBCA Co-Coach of the Year following the 2019-2020 season, Donovan became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls and remains with the team.
Aside from his individual stats and accolades, Donovan coached several future NBA stars while at Florida. Former UF standouts like Jason Williams, Al Horford and Joakim Noah established themselves on the professional stage under Donovan’s tutelage. It’s no surprise to see the success of their careers considering the influence and leadership of their college coach. Donovan went beyond just striving for wins or titles. He prioritized the development and readiness of his players looking to reach the next level.
In a twist of fate, the initial announcement of this 2025 Hall of Fame class aligned with the Final Four this past season, where the Gators faced the Auburn Tigers for a spot in the championship. Donovan, along with the other inductees, was honored at halftime — a full-circle moment for the onlooking Florida fanbase. Seeing two eras of Gators basketball in the same arena made for an emotional environment. Florida advanced and eventually reached college basketball’s dais, winning the championship against Houston.
“I couldn’t be any happier for the program, for Todd [Golden], his staff, for those players. It was an amazing run,” Donovan said during an interview with Steve Russell.
The reigning national champions were honored in April at the Orange and Blue spring game. They now look to repeat just as they did during the Donovan era, projected by most outlets to enter the 2025-26 season ranked in the top 10. With a renewed basketball frenzy on campus, the timing for his return to the university could not be better.
“They had called me last week and had just said, ‘We’d like to honor you. Would you be willing to come up for a football game?’” Donovan said. “I told them I would and certainly I’m grateful for that.”
The celebration in Gainesville will surely highlight Florida’s appreciation for his impact on the men’s basketball program. Donovan will head to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. on Sept. 5-6.
Category: Basketball, College Basketball, Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball, NBA
