Billy Donovan Wanted to Transfer; No One Wanted Him - Kevin Stacom

Billy Donovan Wanted to Transfer; No One Wanted Him - Kevin Stacom

Some things you can’t fake.      

I had the pleasure Friday night of attending the banquet portion of the banner-raising ceremonies of 3 new inductees into the “Friar Legends Forever Jersey Retirement Weekend.” The three new inductees included one of the greatest female basketball players in program history, Britt King (Class of '86), who is the only women’s player to average a double-double for a career (13.4 points; 10.6 rebounds/ game), and her posthumously inducted woman’s coach, Bob Foley, who coached at PC from 1985-1996 bringing the women’s program to national prominence in ‘89-‘90, as coaching the first Big East school to reach the NCAA Sweet 16.

Both of their stories were very compelling, especially Ms. King having the advantage of appearing in the flesh to share her endearing story of how she chose Providence College at the behest and recruitment of associate Athletic Director Helen Burt, and most pivotally by two male players from her same high school in DC at the time, Keith Lomax and Ray Knight.

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These two accomplished individuals set the tone for the presentation of Billy Donavan’s induction. The school was able to time this weekend to coincide with the NBA All-Star weekend which allowed Billy to have the free time to attend, as he is currently the coach of the Chicago Bulls. 

His college coaching record has been well documented and celebrated, most notably his time as head coach of the University of Florida from 1996-2015 (19 seasons), which included him being only one of 8 coaches to accomplish winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

It is primarily for this college coaching resume that Billy Donovan’s name was released in December of 2024 as an eligible candidate for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the class of 2025. A great honor. And I’m sure that will be a great thrill for him and his family. Having said that, you got the distinct feeling observing the event at the Omni Friday night that this ceremony might hit home closer to his heart.

There are some stories that have been told many times, but for some reason, you never get tired of hearing, primarily because they reaffirm in our minds that good outcomes are possible for good people if the stars align properly and the Herculean effort is there. 

Billy Donovan’s story aligns with Dave Gavitt’s assessment of what, in general, describes the talent base of many of the players who helped establish Providence’s program. Their reputations were made during their tenure and not before.

Both Rick Pitino and Billy Donovan had relayed the story of when Pitino first took over the program for the 85-86 season, Billy came to the new coach and informed him of his desire to seek a transfer mostly because during his first two years, he averaged 2.3 points and 3.2 points respectively and receiving limited playing time.

The tale continues that Rick actually tried to accommodate Billy but the two schools suggested by Billy that might have an interest actually did not.

So after a spirited game of one one-on-one with the 34-year-old coach (and former UMass player), Coach Pitino took the young player aside and firmly laid out a pathway to the young Donovan whereby he might have success by remaining at PC if he was willing to pay the price which first of all required the harsh dictum of shedding 30 pounds. This harsh but necessary assessment, combined with a series of skill-based drills, set the stage for one of the most dramatic transformations and eventually one of the most storied NCAA runs in the program's history, culminating in reaching the Final Four in 1987 being underdogs in just about every game including UAB, Austin Peay, Alabama, and a powerful Georgetown team.

That year Donovan averaged 20.6 points/ game, 7.1 assists, 84% FTs, and 41% from 3, 44% FGs.

Most notably, that year was the masterstroke of Pitino being the first coach in the Big East, unlike his more traditional set in their ways counterparts, to fully embrace the new (2nd year) inclusion of the 3-point shot. 51% of Donovan’s FGAs that year were 3-point attempts, and as evidence of Coach Pitino’s innovation and encouragement, his '87 team attempted far more of these opportunities than their opponents (30% vs 18%).

What’s even more impressive is that as effective as Billy Donovan was from the 3, (41%) the PC team for the season shot 42% as a TEAM, with four other players actually shooting a higher percentage than Billy.

Delray Brooks - 42%

Pop Lewis - 43%

Darryl Wright - 46%

That magical run ended at the Final Four as Providence went up against a wall of talent vs Syracuse, a team that includes 3 first-round NBA draft picks: Rony Seikaly, Derrick Coleman, and Sherman Douglas.

But that year and that relationship between player and coach set the stage for two coaching careers that will forever be inextricably linked. Pitino’s incipient brilliance as a young coach was quickly recognized and Donovan’s love for the game now had a pathway to continue due to the lifeline provided by his loyal former coach 

It was a pleasure to witness Donovan’s sincere appreciation for this honor as he was reuniting with former teammates in the presence of family members and you couldn’t help but wonder in the current environment of frantic conference realignment, driven by the quest for necessary lucrative TV contracts, NIL one year contracts, etc., would a story such as Billy Donavan’s at Providence College somehow be repeatable? Would a young coach, with all the pressure he’s under to acquire top-level talent, take the time to try to develop a marginal out-of-shape player? 

Whatever the answer, it was nice to go back to a simpler oasis in time. One of Red Auerbach’s measures of character was the idea that he wanted players and people around him, although they achieved a certain level of success, they didn’t change as a person.

There are certain things you can’t fake. Billy Donovan fulfills Red’s criteria. With all his subsequent success, you can tell he’s the same unassuming person he was before he 1st caught fire as Billy the Kid in that magical '87 season. 

Congratulations to Billy Donovan and his family.