Next up? Oregon trying to lure Donovan away

By Adam Silverstein
March 23, 2010

The St. John’s Red Storm may have come and gone as a suitor for Florida Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan, but that does not mean no other programs are interested in his services. According to various sources including one from the Eugene Register-Guard, the Oregon Ducks are in the process of creating a lucrative package in an attempt to lure Donovan out West.

Oregon recently fired head coach Ernie Kent after 13 seasons. Funded primarily by Nike, the Ducks athletic department has the funds necessary to offer Donovan a comparable package to what he is receiving from the Gators.

However, if he is unwilling to return home to New York, it is not likely Donovan would want to move his family across the country without the offer making him at least the highest-paid coach in the country (if not offering numerous other benefits).

Florida has once again let it be known that no one from Oregon has reached out to athletic director Jeremy Foley for permission to speak to Donovan, and Foley believes Donovan would let him know immediately if another school offered him a job.

Donovan is set to receive $3.3 million in salary for the 2010-11 season along with a $500,000 loyalty bonus that kicks in on April 1.

5 Comments

  1. Donnie wise says:

    I work for Nike here in Beaverton Oregon. Billy has been a hot topic in the office for about two weeks. If Billy comes out and sees there new basketball stadium and they offer him as much as I’ve heard swirling in the water cooler talk Billy will have some serious thinking to do. I hope he declines the interview so all of this can be put to bed, if not it could be a stressful week of worrying about our ball coaches future here at Florida

  2. ReptilesRule says:

    Maybe if they offer him a 10 year 4mil a year contract. That would be insane.

  3. Wingtee says:

    maybe it’s time to move on for Billy. This might be a win- win for both Billy and UF basketball

  4. brlgator says:

    I am shocked that people (wingtee) want to get rid of billy d. Make no mistake this is a football school and our basketball program is billy d. we aren’t kansas, unc, kentucky or ucla. If we lose him in all likelihood we drop back into mediocrity (at best) and lose any recruits we may get (rivers). Florida basketball is Billy D and you better be prepared to get what you ask for

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