For the first time since 1994, Billy Donovan will be an assistant coach.
This summer, the San Antonio Spurs worked on improving their roster without making any major sacrifices. They signed Tobias Harris and drafted both Jayden Quiantance and Tarris Reed in the first round. On top of that, they didn't lose a single major player.
Last season, the Spurs won 62 games and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. This year, they'll be trotting out an even better roster, while most teams lost at least one major piece.
Overlooked, though, was their bench addition. After losing Sean Sweeney to the Orlando Magic, Mitch Johnson upgraded his coaching staff, picking up longtime NBA head coach Billy Donovan.
Billy Donovan Has Mindset Shift With Spurs
Before being the longtime coach of the Chicago Bulls, Billy Donovan made his lone NBA Finals appearance as the skipper of the OKC Thunder in 2011. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant fell to the Miami Heat, but that run cemented Donovan as one of the better coaches in the NBA.
After stepping dowqn in Chicago, Donovan is looking for a fresh start.
"After talking to Mitch Johnson, the head coach, who I got a lot of respect for, I'm just hoping that in some way I can help and bring value," Donovan told WCJB's Olivia Eisenhauer. "The one thing I am starting to realize more and more, every time I go somewhere, I'm now like the oldest guy. And that was never really the case. But that's happening now. So I'm hopeful that I can kind of help in some way."
Donovan has been a head coach since 1994, getting hired after five seasons as an assistant for Rick Pitino at Kentucky. He had stops at Marshall and Florida before making the leap to the NBA.
While at Kentucky, he coached Jeff Sheppard, father of Reed Sheppard. Donovan would win two NCAA titles while coaching the Florida Gators.
"I've been a head coach since I was 28 years old," he added. "And I've been so fortunate that there have been so many coaches that have kind of mentored me, helped me along my journey. And maybe, you know, this is a way to be able to give back. And, you know, what the future holds, I'm not sure. But the people in San Antonio have been, you know, nothing but gracious and very accommodating all the way around. So I'm excited about it, looking forward to it. And hopefully, I can bring some value and help."
