Make no mistake: Donovan would risk nothing jumping to NBA
He lost (190) nearly four times as many games as he won (49) while coaching the Bulls and finished 41-41 in one season with the Hornets. His career record (including playoffs) is 93-235. His punishment for piling losses was to take over a Southern California program with a new commitment to basketball. He has a beautiful arena and is recruiting talent that wouldn't otherwise sniff USC, all because he is a former NBA coach who can sell his NBA experience as the key to getting prospects to the next level.
And that's pretty much how it works.
You have success in college (like Calipari), move to the NBA for tons money (like Pitino), get fired after a couple of seasons (like Kruger) and return to the open market with your choice of available college jobs (like Hamilton). That's the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario has you somehow succeeding in the NBA and in turn putting yourself in the conversation for best basketball coach in the history of the world.
Which brings me back to Donovan.
He has, at the age of 41, already accomplished more than many Hall of Famers. That's why he has some interesting decisions to make. He could've probably been the Grizzlies coach if he wanted. But after a conversation with owner Michael Heisley, Donovan opted not to go in that direction, and considering how those pingpong balls bounced Tuesday, it appears to be a wise move.
Still, rumors about the Magic continue to swirl.
Now that the franchise has rid itself of Brian Hill, Donovan is a likely target. By accepting an offer he could possibly double what his salary is expected to be at Florida (from a reported $3.5 million to a possible $6 million or $7 million), inherit one of the best young centers in the league (Dwight Howard) and fulfill an acknowledged desire to challenge himself at the NBA level. The best part? It could all be done with his family barely relocating considering Orlando is just 115 miles from Gainesville.
Perfect, right?
Of course it's perfect.
But because some would disagree, I'll address the three issues most offer for remaining at Florida.
1. Donovan shouldn't risk his legacy: One of the things that has made Donovan so successful is his unwavering belief in himself. He's confident like few others, which is why it makes no sense that he'd ever think he was risking anything. Instead, he'd probably approach it with the mindset of strengthening his legacy by becoming the first man to win multiple NCAA and NBA titles, because people who have achieved as much as Donovan do not believe failure is realistic. So while history suggests he might become the next P.J. Carlesimo, Donovan likely thinks he'd be more of a Gregg Popovich. And beyond that, I'm not even sure how his legacy could be tarnished. If Donovan never coaches another game, he'll still go down as the best in Florida history, one of the best in NCAA history. His legacy is secure no matter what happens going forward.
2. Donovan doesn't need the NBA money: This is the craziest rationale, that somehow not needing money would ever prevent somebody from taking it. Yes, I agree the reported $3.5 million per year Donovan is set to make at Florida is sufficient to cover his bills and keep him happy. But I'm guessing the $1.7 million he's been making got the job done, too, though it clearly won't keep Donovan from depositing more. When is enough enough? I have no idea. But it seems perfectly human to always want more, and when Donovan sees his agency (Career Sports & Entertainment) get Sam Mitchell (career NBA record: 107-139) $4 million per year from the Raptors, he must feel relatively underpaid even if he's going to be the highest paid coach in the history of college basketball.
3. Donovan shouldn't leave a dynasty at Florida: People who make this argument don't understand Florida isn't the dynasty. Donovan is the dynasty, and the Gators' monumental achievements are based much more on how great he is than the greatness of Florida basketball -- which is not UCLA basketball, Kansas basketball ... or even Florida football. Put another way, there are no fewer than five guys who could probably win national titles in football at Florida, but I can't imagine there are any besides Donovan who could win multiple national titles in basketball at Florida.
Which is why he should jump to the NBA if a perfect situation presents itself, because the possible reward far outweighs any perceived risk. Donovan would either get way richer, flourish and win NBA titles or get way richer, flounder and return to college bigger than ever and positioned to build another dynasty somewhere else, content knowing he took a shot at something that would've otherwise always hung above his head.
Regardless of how it turned out, life would be good.
Meaning if jumping to the NBA is a mistake, we should all be so lucky.
