ESPN.com: Donovan will stay put as Florida coach

[MU Chi_IL]

Billy Donovan, three days removed from leading Florida to a second consecutive national championship, will announce later Thursday that he will remain the Gators' coach and not make himself available to interview for the opening at SEC rival Kentucky.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Donovan met Thursday morning with Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley in Gainesville, Fla. The decision was made at that time that Donovan would stay on as coach.

A statement from Florida is forthcoming, sources said.

Donovan was the top choice of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart to replace Tubby Smith, who left the program in March to coach Minnesota.

Donovan said Wednesday night he had not been contacted about the job. However, he acknowledged he would have to think about it if Kentucky reached out to him.

Speaking before a fundraising dinner at Marshall University, Donovan said he needed time to "decompress" following the Gators' national championship victory over Ohio State. An on-campus celebration for the Gators is scheduled at the O'Connell Center on Friday, and on Saturday, Donovan and his family will leave for vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2826756

[mugoose]

They will talk with Barnes at UT, but he too will pass. goodbye Crean.

Majerus new MU coach by Easter????

[BigSky]

I don't think Crean will be leaving and I think that it is a good thing. 

Why does everyone think Majerus would ever take the MU job again?  I don't. 

[muarmy81]

I don't know, now with Donovan out of the mix you really got to think that if Calipari doesn't take it (I don't think Barnes would leave Texas) UK will come knocking down Crean's door...
I don't have the best feeling that TC would stay.

[NavinRJohnson]

Not what I wanted to hear.

I don't see this ending well for us.

[mu03eng]

If TC were to be offered the job, I think he would take it and rightfully so.  However, I don't think they are going to offer to Crean, or at least as the next choice after Barnes.  I think they go after Gillispie who seems to be holding the door open that UK offers to him.

If Crean goes, I pray its not Majerius.....we will be in serious trouble 3 years from now.  You think negative recruiting against MU every year that TC is going somewhere is bad.  Wait til Rick is coach and they say he is just a caretaker for a year or two.


I'm pretty confident that TC doesn't get offered and stays.  That may just be wishful thinking though.

[muarmy81]

My wish is that he stays too.  Hard to believe we had a bunch of people calling for his head around March 16th...

[ChicosBailBonds]

Izzo to Kentucky, Crean to MSU

[MilTown]

Wow, that would be something.

Over 10,000 on UK rivals site!

[NavinRJohnson]

Izzo to Kentucky, Crean to MSU

This is my fear as well. I gotta believe Izzo is the very next guy on the list, and the lack of any "I wouldn't be interested" reports to this point makes me wonder.

I don't see Barnes taking it, which leads me to believe Izzo and Crean are the next two logical candidates. Either way, that is anot a good scenario.

[mu_hilltopper]

My wish is that he stays too.  Hard to believe we had a bunch of people calling for his head around March 16th...

"A bunch of people"?  Is ~three internet trolls "a bunch"?  Stop the madness.

.. speaking of madness, UK message board melt-down in 5...4...3...2..

[StillAWarrior]

I'll start by saying I want Crean to stay.

That said, I would almost like Crean to go to Kentucky just so that I could read their Rivals board as the fans reacted to Crean.

[Warrior Forever]

Izzo to Kentucky, Crean to MSU

Living here in the Motor City, I would be absolutely shocked if Izzo took the Kentucky job.  I believe the only job Izzo would leave for is if he does a money grab and heads off for the Pistons/NBA someday.

Go Warriors and please keep Crean around.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/bozich/2007/04/prediction-donovan-will-stay-at-florida.html

[NYWarrior]

Izzo is the only coach that UK can get who has a better resume than Tubby's

Makes sense

[mwbauer7]

So lets shift the topic a bit here. If Crean bolts, who do we replace him with? Other than Majerus? With the buyout of Crean's contract, and amount we have been  paying him, could we lure Mark Few away from Gonzaga?

[NYWarrior]

So lets shift the topic a bit here. If Crean bolts, who do we replace him with? Other than Majerus? With the buyout of Crean's contract, and amount we have been  paying him, could we lure Mark Few away from Gonzaga?

gimme stallings.  he's a GREAT coach.

but nobody good willl come until MU gets an AD

[BigSky]

So lets shift the topic a bit here. If Crean bolts, who do we replace him with? Other than Majerus? With the buyout of Crean's contract, and amount we have been  paying him, could we lure Mark Few away from Gonzaga?

gimme stallings.  he's a GREAT coach.

but nobody good willl come until MU gets an AD

lol...Chico's keeps posting this as well.  No way Stallings leaves Vandy for MU.

[muarmy81]

What about Marshall from Winthrop?  Some may see that as a step down but he seems like a very good coach that could very well develop in  a bigger program like Marquette

[Niv Berkowitz]

To quote Maggie from Caddyshack:  Ahhhh geez dat's alllll I neeeedddddd.

Should be an interesting couple of days. I don't see Barnes making the jump. I mean, why? If Crean's offered, I think he's gone. Plain and simple. Gillespie makes a ton of sense. But you never know.

Now we're gonna be back to many posts every day on who the next coach is.

And I'm back to where I was before....no to Rick Majerus. Good guy. Great coach. But health and negative recruiting would kill us. Also, the lack of an AD isn't going to make things easier.

I just hope someone at MU has the number for UNLV's and Vanderbilt's athletic department on hand.

[OneMadWarrior]

I'd really like to see Marquette take a run at Tony Bennett

[mugoose]

Interesting thought on Bennett.

Why no love to Majerus?

From what I am  hearing, Crean is off the "list," at least for now. Do you really think he will say yes if he is there 4th or 5th (6th?) choice? Ego's, remember?

No effing way Izzo goes. I'm from MI and he is God there.

[OneMadWarrior]

Majerus was run out by the boosters already once. He would not want to follow Crean. Plus you may never know when his health might get out of control again.

[Dish]

An outside the box idea, if Crean left, Chris Collins. He's probably still too "fresh", and I'd rather see him on his own first at a mid major D1 program.

I still like Chris Lowery because I love his style of play on the defensive end.

[NYWarrior]

I still like Chris Lowery because I love his style of play on the defensive end.

I like Lowery too....... but his track record is not substantial enough to get a Big East job.  at least I hope that is the case