Bill Donovan Sr., the Boston College Hall of Famer and father of Billy Donovan, died on Saturday.
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan's father, Bill Donovan Sr., died Saturday at age 85, according to an obituary posted by Williams-Thomas Funeral Home in Gainesville, Florida.
A native of Queens, New York, the elder Donovan captained the Boston College basketball team and graduated as the school's No. 3 all-time scorer. He was selected to the Boston College Hall of Fame in 2000.
"They didn't come any better than Billy Donovan Sr. A Special Man in every sense of the word. RIP my friend! You're already in heaven," Rick Pitino wrote on X. Pitino coached the younger Donovan at Providence from 1983 to 1987. Billy Donovan later served on Pitino's staff at Kentucky as an assistant coach.
The Bulls coach credited his father with introducing him to basketball at a young age in Rockville Centre, New York. Bill Donovan Sr. volunteered as a coach for his son's local Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) teams from elementary school through eighth grade and built a backyard court to nurture his passion.
The elder Donovan became a fixture at his son's games, often sitting behind the bench during Billy Donovan's 19-year tenure at the University of Florida. He witnessed his son lead the Gators to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007 — the first consecutive titles in NCAA men's basketball since 1991-1992.
"I've always said my dad has never had a bad day in his life," Billy Donovan told ESPN in 2006. "He's always happy, energetic and has enthusiasm. He's got the vigor for life and always had a smile on his face."
The Bulls have not announced whether Billy Donovan will miss any games during the team's upcoming schedule.