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Friday, June 8 |
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Donovan's path to Orlando and back to UF filled his days with anguish.
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Billy Donovan was distraught Saturday morning, and his wife took action. Christine Donovan dialed Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and told him Donovan was having second thoughts about becoming the Magic's coach. Foley, having just landed in Richmond, Va., to interview prospective replacement Anthony Grant, quickly explained that with Donovan under contract to the NBA team, there could be legal repercussions if he became involved.She turned to assistant coach Larry Shyatt. "Make a U-turn, " Shyatt recalled her saying as he drove toward a basketball camp. The Donovans needed help.
Shyatt arrived at their house, looked at Billy Donovan and realized something was seriously wrong.
"You could just see it in his eyes, " Shyatt said. "We talked and he explained where he was, where his heart was. He felt he had made a mistake. And I said let's try to make the next best adult decision. If I can help, I'll be happy to."
Over the next five days, Shyatt helped Donovan undo a five-year, $27.5-million contract and return to Florida.
Thursday, Donovan held a news conference, thanking those who helped and apologizing to nearly everyone.
"The last four or five days have certainly been difficult, and I want to take this time to apologize, first and foremost, to the Orlando Magic, " he said. "I feel terrible about this, and I'm very sorry that it happened. ... I made a mistake."
June 1: Contrasts and reservations
Donovan appeared in Orlando in the morning to be introduced as coach. He wore a navy suit, striped tie and a big smile. He said all the right things and seemed eager, after 13 seasons as a college head coach, for the challenge.
Fans cheered and gave him a standing ovation, his wife received a bouquet, and the Magic sold about 200 season tickets.
By afternoon, he was in Gainesville to explain his decision to the Gator faithful. He wore shorts, a polo shirt and choked up a little. He said all the right things and seemed grateful for the support.
"The last 24 hours have not been fun, " he said. "I don't think I got maybe a chance to enjoy like I would like to, but that's okay."
But it wasn't.
As Donovan and his wife drove home later, he told her he wasn't feeling right. The excitement, the jubilation about the new job wasn't there.
"Sleep on it, " he remembers her telling him. "You'll feel better in the morning."
Saturday: A situation in Gainesville
At the Richmond airport, after talking with Christine, Foley talked by phone with Grant, the Virginia Commonwealth coach who had been a Florida assistant for 10 years.
"He said, 'Jeremy, you need to go back home and take care of your coach, ' " Foley said of Grant.
The plane, on the ground less than 30 minutes, returned to Gainesville.
Bill Donovan, the coach's father, was playing golf in New York when he took a call about 10:30 a.m.
"I don't think I did the right thing, " he recalls his son saying. "I think I made a major mistake."
He knew his son had gone back and forth before signing with Orlando, but he didn't realize the level of the despair. He told Billy he'd call him back.
By the time he returned the call about 1 p.m., Billy Donovan had contacted the Magic.
"I felt like the only thing I could do was be forthright and upfront with the Magic, " Donovan said. "I thought about it, took some time to myself and I contacted them right away. I talked to them and discussed my feelings. ... I apologized to them. It became very clear to me Saturday morning that with this mistake I made I had to do something."
While Donovan weighed his options, Shyatt kept vigil, acting as a sounding board. He was well-qualified because he was in a similar situation, though on a smaller and less public scale.
When Donovan left Marshall for Florida in 1996, Shyatt, an assistant at Clemson, agreed to replace him.
"I was scheduled to have a press conference the next morning, " Shyatt said. "I called (Clemson coach) Rick Barnes crying and said, 'Coach you've got to get me out of this.' I stayed up all night and felt like the right thing to do was to face the (Marshall) president the next morning and tell him that I was too blessed with my relationship and situation at Clemson."
By early Saturday afternoon, Bill Donovan had received a call from his daughter-in-law, telling him how distraught his son was. He knew Billy was "very sensitive about how things affect other people."
"He was so upset about what he'd done, " Bill Donovan said. "The Magic, his family, Jeremy, his coaching staff, his players were all affected. All of those things are weighing on his mind at the same time. She said this decision was really torturing him."
He flew to Gainesville that night, arriving about midnight.
In the interim, Magic general manager Otis Smith visited Donovan, reiterating the team wanted him and suggesting he take more time.Labels: news |
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@ 10:08 PM
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