Billy Donovan - Out as Thunder Head Coach

[Pakuni]

 Pat Forde @ByPatForde
Contrary to the understandable fantasies of several fan bases, the college game isn't getting Brad Stephens or Billy D back, at least not anytime soon.

[wadesworld]

Pat Forde @ByPatForde
Contrary to the understandable fantasies of several fan bases, the college game isn't getting Brad Stephens or Billy D back, at least not anytime soon.

That's because people are too afraid and won't risk getting to sleep with the 10 when they're a 2. Happens all the time, you just have to ask.

[Galway Eagle]

That's because people are too afraid and won't risk getting to sleep with the 10 when they're a 2. Happens all the time, you just have to ask.

You think MU as a 2? That's a crappy opinion. 

I think this is hilarious that you sultan And pakuni are so offended by the idea of even making a feeler you've come up with a million reasons to not do it. Even when the other side is saying "yeah you're right it's not going to happen" it's somehow offensive to you three. 

[tower912]

Jennifer Aniston is single again.  Yet I haven't disrupted my marriage by calling.   Clearly a failing on my part.

[Galway Eagle]

Jennifer Aniston is single again.  Yet I haven't disrupted my marriage by calling.   Clearly a failing on my part.

Is your marriage stale and not living up to the hype? Has your wife taken calls from other suitors? Have some of your best kids run away because you aren't paying attention to them? Maybe rather than calling, you have your guy simply ask their agent, any chance you're interested in getting out of the spotlight?

Also Pop or Kerr would be Aniston Donovan is hardly Aniston unless we're just talking his college record

[tower912]

What marriage is living up to the hype?  I do have one kid successfully out of the house.   My wife interacts with other guys all of the time.   Legal secretary.   And I am still not calling Jennifer Aniston.

Maybe this is Wojo's last year.  Maybe it is the year he grows beyond his Duke roots.   Billy Donovan was never coming back to college and it would have been stupid to call.

Regardless of the status of the marriage, completely betraying the other for a pipe dream fantasy is dumb.

[Pakuni]

You think MU as a 2? That's a crappy opinion. 

For a successful NBA coach who just walked away from $6 million a year in hopes of greener pastures ... MU is a -1.

[Lennys Tap]

Jennifer Aniston is single again.  Yet I haven't disrupted my marriage by calling.   Clearly a failing on my part.

I doubt very much you consider your wedding vows analogous to the business arrangement between MU and Wojo. But if you do, what's the buyout if you fire your bride and replace her with Aniston? Or if she dumps you for Clooney?

[dgies9156]

What marriage is living up to the hype? 

Mine!

44 years ago, I met my wife in the language building. Forty years ago, I married her.

She's been everything she promised. I guess I've been too.

Hope Wojo is everything he promised Marquette. This is the year we really begin to find out!

[Galway Eagle]

What marriage is living up to the hype?  I do have one kid successfully out of the house.   My wife interacts with other guys all of the time.   Legal secretary.   And I am still not calling Jennifer Aniston.

Maybe this is Wojo's last year.  Maybe it is the year he grows beyond his Duke roots.   Billy Donovan was never coming back to college and it would have been stupid to call.

Don't know not married, if we're sticking with basketball metaphors Gonzaga, Wichita State, Villanova, Duke, Kansas, UNC, Michigan St, Oklahoma, Florida, heck given some marriages expectations you could have Seton Hall, Providence, etc are all happy in their marriages.

The metaphor wouldn't be kids left their house that'd relate to graduating. I suppose ran away would be better relating to transfer.

I don't claim to know how often legal secretaries are being hit on at work but in the case of Wojo he took a call from VATech which wouldn't be interacting, but more her telling you "I'm willing to leave this marriage if mr dreamboat comes along but you're stuck with me"

[Galway Eagle]

Do you guys never play slots? Have never gotten a lottery ticket? Both these things I know are extremely unlikely for me to win. But yeah if I'm in Vegas (or god forbid I ever return to Pottowatami) then sure why the hell not.

Remember when Loyola went to the Final Four? VCU? George Washington? That was "never going to happen", someone placed a bet on it at the beginning of the year and won a crap ton of money.

Someone previously posted that you guys are acting like we were going to conference call Billy D, Wojo, ESPN, and all the players. I was essentially saying it's worth an email to an agent asking if Donovan is considering a return to college. And here we are weeks later and you guys are still acting like I suggested something that is against some holy law.

[Pakuni]

And here we are weeks later and you guys are still acting like I suggested something that is against some holy law.

Nah.
We're just suggesting it's dumb and pointless.
Like, you know how the sports world mocks Ole Miss or Nebraska when they have a coaching opening and message board goofballs start tracking flights out of Tuscaloosa?
That's the people here suggesting MU should call Billy Donovan.
It's not a cardinal sin, just remarkable ignorance of the basketball landscape.

[The Sultan]

It's not against some "holy law."  It's just not a very good idea, especially when you have a coach already in place.

It doesn't take much for "Marquette reached out to Billy Donovan" rumors to get out and then you have a mess on your hands.  Especially when your chances of landing him were miniscule to begin with.

[cheebs09]

Do you guys never play slots? Have never gotten a lottery ticket? Both these things I know are extremely unlikely for me to win. But yeah if I'm in Vegas (or god forbid I ever return to Pottowatami) then sure why the hell not.

Remember when Loyola went to the Final Four? VCU? George Washington? That was "never going to happen", someone placed a bet on it at the beginning of the year and won a crap ton of money.

Someone previously posted that you guys are acting like we were going to conference call Billy D, Wojo, ESPN, and all the players. I was essentially saying it's worth an email to an agent asking if Donovan is considering a return to college. And here we are weeks later and you guys are still acting like I suggested something that is against some holy law.

A lottery ticket is a one way street. The only way you get one is if you proactively buy it. Plus, you aren't risking pissing off the lottery ticket you are currently holding.

Honestly, if Billy Donovan has a burning desire to get back into college coaching, I'm pretty sure he has in mind the schools he's willing to go to. His agent would be reaching out.

It seems like Wojo took a call from Va Tech, and maybe others. However, that's sort of the way the landscape is set up. If your company is reaching out to others through back channels, they are most likely on the path to let you go. IMO, we should only be reaching out if ready to fire Wojo anyways.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think I can figure this out.

The amount of damage MU reaching out to Donovan could do was probably very small. I think most are overstating the potential impact. But the likelihood of that low impact happening was pretty high. Those stating that there was zero risk are incorrect.

The chance that Donovan was coming to MU was somewhere in the realm of .0001%. But it would be a huge reward if he did.

So reaching out would have a high probability of having a minuscule negative impact on the program.....and have a virtually non-existent probability of having a huge positive impact on the program.

Conclusion: MDDG is a troll

[MU82]

When Jimmy and Jae put away the Celtics, MU better be reaching out to Brad Stevens. I hear he really wants to return to the Midwest, make less than half what he does now, and get to lie to the mothers of 18-year-olds again.

[The Sultan]

When Jimmy and Jae put away the Celtics, MU better be reaching out to Brad Stevens. I hear he really wants to return to the Midwest, make less than half what he does now, and get to lie to the mothers of 18-year-olds again.

Does he call them pretty even though they really aren't?

[Galway Eagle]

When Jimmy and Jae put away the Celtics, MU better be reaching out to Brad Stevens. I hear he really wants to return to the Midwest, make less than half what he does now, and get to lie to the mothers of 18-year-olds again.

Stevens Celtics salary is 3.6m, (https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/brad-stevens-13387/)

Buzz Williams was making 3m at MU
(https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10648381/buzz-williams-leave-marquette-golden-eagles-coach-virginia-tech-hokies)

Do you think we'd pay Stevens Wojo's 1.7m or do you think we'd pay him closer to Buzz?

Also given that Boston is the 16th most expensive city in the states while MKE drops down to 82 (https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/region_rankings.jsp?title=2018&region=019) not to mention the considerably higher tax rates in Mass vs WI then the money isn't as different as you're suggesting. plus since Stevens is from the Midwest I would again say at least sending an email saying "hey are you interested in coming back to college at all?" Would be worth it if he was just fired, even if it was 0.00001% chance and he sends us laughing emojis back.

Now Watch everybody spin this as me thinking we could hire away the Celtics coach 

[JWags85]

Stevens Celtics salary is 3.6m, (https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/brad-stevens-13387/)

His agent sucks or they are angling for the monster extension, cause that salary is deceptive.  Most would argue Stevens is in the top 3rd of NBA coaches, if not higher.  His salary is in the bottom quarter.  Guys like Donovan, Dwayne Casey, even F-ing Scott Brooks, were in the $6-7MM range

[Galway Eagle]

His agent sucks or they are angling for the monster extension, cause that salary is deceptive.  Most would argue Stevens is in the top 3rd of NBA coaches, if not higher.  His salary is in the bottom quarter.  Guys like Donovan, Dwayne Casey, even F-ing Scott Brooks, were in the $6-7MM range

I don't disagree he should be making a crap ton more. I mean 3.6m in Boston barely gets you a town house in the south end.

[Lennys Tap]

When Jimmy and Jae put away the Celtics, MU better be reaching out to Brad Stevens. I hear he really wants to return to the Midwest, make less than half what he does now, and get to lie to the mothers of 18-year-olds again.

If Brad Stevens gets let go by the Celtics, why not give him a courtesy call?

Look, this whole "Wojo's feelings might be hurt" is a bunch of crap. He (and everyone else on the planet) knows that Billy Donovan or Brad Stevens is a whole lot better at coaching basketball than he is. He knows MU would can him in a nanosecond for either one. Just like MU knows that if the Lakers come calling Wojo would be on the first plane to LA.

There are a bunch of reasons that make any of the aforementioned extremely unlikely. No harm in taking 5 minutes to inquire, though.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I think I can figure this out.

The amount of damage MU reaching out to Donovan could do was probably very small. I think most are overstating the potential impact. But the likelihood of that low impact happening was pretty high. Those stating that there was zero risk are incorrect.

The chance that Donovan was coming to MU was somewhere in the realm of .0001%. But it would be a huge reward if he did.

So reaching out would have a high probability of having a minuscule negative impact on the program.....and have a virtually non-existent probability of having a huge positive impact on the program.

Conclusion: MDDG is a troll
Crean sucks
ND sucks
Bo Ryan molests collies

[jesmu84]

Is your marriage stale and not living up to the hype? Has your wife taken calls from other suitors? Have some of your best kids run away because you aren't paying attention to them? Maybe rather than calling, you have your guy simply ask their agent, any chance you're interested in getting out of the spotlight?

Also Pop or Kerr would be Aniston Donovan is hardly Aniston unless we're just talking his college record

Has this ever been sourced? I assume it's referencing wojo and VT?

[Galway Eagle]

Has this ever been sourced? I assume it's referencing wojo and VT?

Top of page 2 of this thread I posted a link at your request.

[Jockey]

If Brad Stevens gets let go by the Celtics, why not give him a courtesy call?

Look, this whole "Wojo's feelings might be hurt" is a bunch of crap. He (and everyone else on the planet) knows that Billy Donovan or Brad Stevens is a whole lot better at coaching basketball than he is. He knows MU would can him in a nanosecond for either one. Just like MU knows that if the Lakers come calling Wojo would be on the first plane to LA.

There are a bunch of reasons that make any of the aforementioned extremely unlikely. No harm in taking 5 minutes to inquire, though.

Why even risk collateral damage?

There is a 0% chance that Donovan was going to go back to college. He quit in Oklahoma because he did not want to go through a complete rebuild. There was no question that there would be numerous NBA jobs for him to choose from.

So I believe there is harm in taking 5 minutes to inquire. It doesn't do a thing to help MU and it damages his own prospects in the NBA by appearing desperate to quickly grab whatever job he can.