Billy Donovan to UNC? Bulls coach's college legacy shines amid Bulls struggles & Tar Heels' vacancy after Davis firing. Perfect timing for a blue-blood return?
As the Chicago Bulls season begins to wind down, it is natural for fans and even players themselves to start pondering what the future of the organization will look like.
The rumors and speculation isn't just restricted to the player personnel however, as it was reported on early Tuesday by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that "growing momentum" exists for Bulls head coach Billy Donovan to step away from the organization. Anyone who spends time covering or cheering for the Bulls would not blame Billy if he decided to move on but he does have real-life reasons to with his father and mother-in-law all recently passing away in a short span of time.
But what makes this recent discussion about Donovan leaving, is the opportunity that became open on Tuesday night. The University of North Carolina parted ways with their head coach Hubert Davis after an up and down 125-54 career tenure with the 55-year old former alum. The collapse last weekend in the opening round of the NCAA tournament against VCU may have been the final push the program needed to go in a different direction.
Could that direction be Billy Donovan?
Billy Donovan built his Hall of Fame resume in college basketball, particularly during 19 seasons at Florida where he posted a 467-186 record (.715 winning percentage). He led the Gators to four Final Four appearances, including back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. Before Florida, Donovan coached two seasons at Marshall (35-20), giving him an overall college mark of 502-206 (.709). His success recruiting and developing talent in the SEC established him as a blue-blood caliber coach who eventually he transitioned to the NBA in 2015 with Oklahoma City.
In Chicago since 2020, Donovan holds a 224-247 regular-season record and 1-4 in playoffs, with the Bulls mired in rebuild mode at 12th in the East and missing the postseason again. Despite a multiyear extension signed last summer, the franchise's lottery outlook and roster turnover have created doubts on the long-term fit between the two.
And then as of Tuesday night, with the opening of arguably the best job in college basketball, one has to ponder if this was just a coincidence or cosmic alignment for Billy's future. He has already been discussed as a potential hot name to look out for, along with Michigan's Dusty May and Florida's Todd Golden. The Tar Heels are one of the biggest brands in all of college basketball, with a decorated history and a war chest to use for NIL.
Maybe this opportunity could be exactly what someone like Billy Donovan, who is now 60 years-old, needs to leave the Bulls organization. Maybe a chance to go back to where he started, the college level, could be the ultimate end to his career with an opportunity to bring a struggling blue-blood program back to success and a winning tradition.
For Bulls fans, it's a sobering thought: Their Hall of Famer might trade the United Center for the Dean Dome. But given UNC's urgency and Donovan's pedigree, the stars have rarely aligned better.