Did we really kick the tires on Billy Donovan the last time?

[brandonmckayegearheart]

Just wondering about how far we really went with reaching out to Billy D last time? The yahoo article says Mitch did check with him, but if I remember correctly Donovan was in a playoff / play-in game situation and let it be known that he wouldn't be interested in talking until his season was over. Mitch did not wait.
I know I might be in the minority but I love Billy Donovan and I think he's smart enough and a marketing genius to come in and handle NIL. He also has an NBA pedigree now. I think he'd be dangerous at Kentucky. He checks all the boxes. Great coach, great salesman, can handle the job.
To me he's always the one that got away. Thoughts?

 

[JDHoss]

Thoughts? Donovan said he was tired of the recruiting scene and has remarked how great it is "to just coach basketball" in the NBA. Recruiting is infinitely worse now than it was when Donovan left. The Bulls like Donovan and signed him to a contract extension last summer. If Donovan wanted to be coaching college basketball, he already would be.

 

[ComebackCats98]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

 

[CELTICAT]

We did not.

 

[preacherfan]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

I think Mitch is "gun shy" when it comes to coaches with problems. He hired Billy G, who was a popular choice on this board at the time, and we see what happened there. UK once hired Sutton and we know how that one turned out as well.

 

[BBUK]

Dude,

Drop that Billy crap. How many times would UK be told no.... You going to "beg" him??? Geez stop with it. "Are we going to contact Billy D..."? Have you no shame or standards? Every year several post something like.."Would Billy D come to UK?" The guy has said NO... but, I think he only did it once...

 

[blueblood2767]

unless you are inside the room when calls were made to potential coaches (which I assume no one on this board was in that room) then its all speculation.

 

[MarvinHagler89]

He didn’t pursue anyone other than Drew. Like a poster said above, the Hurley offer was an appeasement offer. Pope was a sure thing. Mitch is a very lazy and pathetic AD. He’s made mistake after mistake on hiring coaches and contract extensions.

 

[rick64]

Mitch didn't want to wait till the NBA season was over for the Bulls to gage interest. MB panicked and made the quick easy hire.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Isn’t he still with the Bulls? Not sure why he would have said yes that time. Also, if we had fiddle farted around with him for any amount of time and he said no AGAIN, we may have ended up with a bigger disaster than we have now. I know that is hard to fathom but it is a possibility.

Right decision: not messing around with Donavan

Wrong decision: hiring Pope

 

[Kantucke_rivals]

Unfortunately Barnhardt has Kentucky in a dire situation financially, not sure we can afford NIL let alone buying out the Popester. Which makes MB golden parachute even more pathetic.

 

[DelkBowl]

How many times does billy have to turn us down for the fans to move on?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I just dont know what makes any college fans think guys like Billy Donovan or Brad Stevens are going to leave a stable workplace (The NBA) for the chaotic hellhole that is college basketball, when they clearly already wanted to get out a decade ago.

 

[brandonmckayegearheart]

Dude,

Drop that Billy crap. How many times would UK be told no.... You going to "beg" him??? Geez stop with it. "Are we going to contact Billy D..."? Have you no shame or standards? Every year several post something like.."Would Billy D come to UK?" The guy has said NO... but, I think he only did it once...

A man can dream. I have zero shame when it comes to Billy D who I think should have been the call when Rick left. You are right. I do this to myself every single time the thought of looking for another coach comes up.

 

[Dr.LutherSan]

If Pope declined, I believe Mitch was going to reach out to Shaka Smart. This is the administration that is in charge.

 

[ftp000]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

Oats has said he recieved feelers and let it be known he wasn't interested.
With contracts the way they are, feelers are all that can be done to start. Coaches need permission to enter into actual discussions. We have no idea how many got said feelers.

 

[BigBlue1992]

I know Billy said no after Tubby but was he asked again before Cal? Billy Donovan is my first choice but if he’s said no twice, we’ll let it be. If only once, he needs to be asked again.

It’s also very likely he said no due to his relationship with Pitino. Maybe didn’t wanna upset his mentor. I actually think that’s highly probable.

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

Thoughts? Donovan said he was tired of the recruiting scene and has remarked how great it is "to just coach basketball" in the NBA. Recruiting is infinitely worse now than it was when Donovan left. The Bulls like Donovan and signed him to a contract extension last summer. If Donovan wanted to be coaching college basketball, he already would be.

I'd argue it's much easier today than when Billy was at UF. You litterally just pay them now.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Y’all, Donovan hasn’t recruited a college player since 2014.

He left college coaching because he was disgusted by the recruiting scene. It’s more disgusting now than it was back then.

We have to quit living in 1997 or 2007.

 

[83Cat_rivals79182]

Just wondering about how far we really went with reaching out to Billy D last time? The yahoo article says Mitch did check with him, but if I remember correctly Donovan was in a playoff / play-in game situation and let it be known that he wouldn't be interested in talking until his season was over. Mitch did not wait.
I know I might be in the minority but I love Billy Donovan and I think he's smart enough and a marketing genius to come in and handle NIL. He also has an NBA pedigree now. I think he'd be dangerous at Kentucky. He checks all the boxes. Great coach, great salesman, can handle the job.
To me he's always the one that got away. Thoughts?

Less than a zero chance.

 

[AllBall]

Unfortunately Barnhardt has Kentucky in a dire situation financially, not sure we can afford NIL let alone buying out the Popester. Which makes MB golden parachute even more pathetic.

Ain't that a kick in the dick! Eli claiming UK has to be financially responsible, but he gives Mitch a pay raise and new position.

Meanwhile, Mitch is the reason UK is pinching pennies.

 

[Snarks]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

This seems like the most likely scenario

 

[Rick Honcho]

Donovan turns 61 in May and hasn’t coached at the college level since 2015. He ain’t walking through that door…

 

[UKBB4Ever]

He didn’t pursue anyone other than Drew. Like a poster said above, the Hurley offer was an appeasement offer. Pope was a sure thing. Mitch is a very lazy and pathetic AD. He’s made mistake after mistake on hiring coaches and contract extensions.

You’re correct except that Pope was a panic hire. Mitch knew he had his guy locked up for when Cal left.

When Drew backed out he was shocked. He knew Pope would jump all over it. And he did.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

Think you’re forgetting some people, one of which who was going to be the coach if not for Pope. I get your cliff notes version of events is the popular spiel but it isn’t true.

 

[Goingfor9]

It’s not kicking the tires if they aren’t interested in you. That’s called beat a dead horse

 

[ComebackCats98]

Think you’re forgetting some people, one of which who was going to be the coach if not for Pope. I get your cliff notes version of events is the popular spiel but it isn’t true.

Well enlighten me

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Well enlighten me

Shaka Smart.

 

[TommyMansky]

Shaka Smart.

He was a good candidate in 2015.

 

[Blue Jesus]

I think the only people pursued last time were

-Scott Drew because that was Mitch’s number 1 guy for some stupid reason.
-Hurley to satisfy fans that we attempted. He was never leaving there and coming here.
-Pope because he was a safe easy hire that would be a yes man.

There were reports that Donovan would wait until after their season to talk to UK. I don’t think Mitch pursued him. I also don’t think he pursued Oats.

My impression is there were guys they felt they had to reach out to, but were happy to take any issue as a reason to abandon that thread. Donovan, Pearl, Oats, Hurley in a sense, I don’t think there was ever much resolve to convince him to come.

 

[Mossip]

Y’all, Donovan hasn’t recruited a college player since 2014.

He left college coaching because he was disgusted by the recruiting scene. It’s more disgusting now than it was back then.

We have to quit living in 1997 or 2007.

I’ve thought this same way re: Donovan. Is there a workaround where the GM does most of the recruiting thereby alleviating that hassle?

Any big time coaches that have taken a lessened role in recruiting and maintained talent solely through the GM?

 

[#1 cat fan]

Just wondering about how far we really went with reaching out to Billy D last time? The yahoo article says Mitch did check with him, but if I remember correctly Donovan was in a playoff / play-in game situation and let it be known that he wouldn't be interested in talking until his season was over. Mitch did not wait.
I know I might be in the minority but I love Billy Donovan and I think he's smart enough and a marketing genius to come in and handle NIL. He also has an NBA pedigree now. I think he'd be dangerous at Kentucky. He checks all the boxes. Great coach, great salesman, can handle the job.
To me he's always the one that got away. Thoughts?

I've never been as high on Donovan being at uk then some. This is just another example of our fans believing we can get anyone. That time has passed. Even if he did go to college again I don't believe he would pick uk

 

[meteordealer]

Oats has said he recieved feelers and let it be known he wasn't interested.
With contracts the way they are, feelers are all that can be done to start. Coaches need permission to enter into actual discussions. We have no idea how many got said feelers.

Oats never received anything. There's a reason he is still coaching at Bama.

 

[CELTICAT]

Donovan turns 61 in May and hasn’t coached at the college level since 2015. He ain’t walking through that door…

So he's younger than half the coaches in the sweet 16. Sign him up.

 

[ftp000]

Oats never received anything. There's a reason he is still coaching at Bama.

"The job was never offered in the first place. I don't want people thinking I turned it down, that wasn't the case," Oats told Seth Davis of Bleacher Report. "I took my name out of consideration before it would have ever gotten to that point."

Stop thinking we can have whatever we want. We couldn't even get the Baylor guy.

 

[meteordealer]

"The job was never offered in the first place. I don't want people thinking I turned it down, that wasn't the case," Oats told Seth Davis of Bleacher Report. "I took my name out of consideration before it would have ever gotten to that point."

Stop thinking we can have whatever we want. We couldn't even get the Baylor guy.

That's what i said. Barney never contacted Oats about anything. Plus i don't want Oats.

 

[Coach777]

Just wondering about how far we really went with reaching out to Billy D last time? The yahoo article says Mitch did check with him, but if I remember correctly Donovan was in a playoff / play-in game situation and let it be known that he wouldn't be interested in talking until his season was over. Mitch did not wait.
I know I might be in the minority but I love Billy Donovan and I think he's smart enough and a marketing genius to come in and handle NIL. He also has an NBA pedigree now. I think he'd be dangerous at Kentucky. He checks all the boxes. Great coach, great salesman, can handle the job.
To me he's always the one that got away. Thoughts?

Just go get Golden and Kentucky will dominate. Yep we hated Cal until he came here and started winning.

 

[NociHTTP]

Just wondering about how far we really went with reaching out to Billy D last time? The yahoo article says Mitch did check with him, but if I remember correctly Donovan was in a playoff / play-in game situation and let it be known that he wouldn't be interested in talking until his season was over. Mitch did not wait.
I know I might be in the minority but I love Billy Donovan and I think he's smart enough and a marketing genius to come in and handle NIL. He also has an NBA pedigree now. I think he'd be dangerous at Kentucky. He checks all the boxes. Great coach, great salesman, can handle the job.
To me he's always the one that got away. Thoughts?

It is my understanding that Donovan turned us down twice already. You really want sloppy thirds?

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Dude,

Drop that Billy crap. How many times would UK be told no.... You going to "beg" him??? Geez stop with it. "Are we going to contact Billy D..."? Have you no shame or standards? Every year several post something like.."Would Billy D come to UK?" The guy has said NO... but, I think he only did it once...

As far as we know, it was one time he turned us down. With the way recruiting works now, Billy can essentially just coach.

 

[LexingtonThoroughblade]

I am a Donovan supporter and I was pissed we didnt wait until the Bulls were knocked out, which happened quickly anyway.

I think you reach out next year if we are looking. Donovan didn't care for recruiting but remember that he wanted to leave Florida after winning the 2 titles and got gun shy with the Magic. To get out of his contract there he had to stay out of the NBA for a bit or he would have left the Gators earlier. He has scratched the NBA itch and let's face it: the Bulls are in rebuild mode and going nowhere. Maybe Donovan wants to keep cashing checks and losing but he strikes me as too much of a competitor for that.

Get the guy recruiting support and he can coach here for the next 10 years, which is the life of this job anyway.