Donovan and Foley release statements
Billy Donovan won 467 games and two national titles while taking the Gators to four Final Fours during his storied 19-year tenure.
Published on Thursday, 4/30/15, at 7:23 p.m. Eastern.
Billy Donovan released this statement after accepting the head-coaching job with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder earlier today:
“I want to thank Jeremy Foley, the players, coaches and staff I’ve had the chance to work with during my time at Florida,” Donovan said in a school release. “The administrative support and stability has been unbelievable here, and it is an incredibly difficult decision to leave that. I knew that it would take a unique opportunity to leave the University of Florida and that is clearly how I look at this situation.
“It is of course bittersweet as the University of Florida will always hold a very special place in my heart and in my family’s. I’ve had the good fortune of working with the best athletic director in the country in Jeremy Foley over the last 19 years, and I’ll be forever grateful and thankful for the opportunity and his friendship. Countless players, students, and other people in the administration were responsible for our success and for the meaningful connection we had with the Gainesville community.
“I have a deep appreciation for what the University of Florida will always mean to me and I’ll forever be a Gator.”
From Florida AD Jeremy Foley below:
“While we are certainly extremely sad to see Billy go, the primary feeling I have is one of gratitude for what he has done here at Florida.
“Billy and Florida basketball have been synonymous for a long time now, and our program would not have reached the heights it has without him. The legacy he leaves here is one of personal and professional excellence, and we wish him, Christine and the Donovan family continued success and happiness as they make this move. There is no better person than Billy Donovan. He will truly be missed.”
