Calipari 5-Year Deal with Arkansas. Billy Donovan a top candidate for Kentucky

[DuckIII]

I figure Hurley needs a week or two to use Kentucky for leverage. Then we’ll see if the Donovan interest is real.

Hurley has already taken himself out of the running for the job.

TBH, Connecticut these days is a better job than UK.

Yeah it was funny right after the news broke, Dan Hurley was the knee jerk name and I had to laugh.

Hmmm. Let me think about leaving the most dominant college basketball program of the last 30 years at the peak of its dominance, as well as the region of the nation my whole family is from, and go to a worse program with delusional fans and boosters.

Sounds awesome.

[Ice Man]

Kentucky basketball revenues (2022) were $31.2 million, with Calipari making $8.5 million. Kentucky's coach earned 27% of the program's revenues. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls had $372 million in revenues and paid its coach $6 million, which means that Billy Donovan made 1.6% of the Bulls revenues.

Why the disparity? Because by far the major value for coaches is their salesmanship -- attracting players and soliciting donations from the alums. All that actual coaching stuff is basically a commodity. All NBA coaches decades learn the same lessons and do largely the same things. NBA owners and GMs know that, which is why college coaches are paid FAR more than university presidents, while NBA coaches are paid like 8th men in the rotation.

[DuckIII]

Kentucky basketball revenues (2022) were $31.2 million, with Calipari making $8.5 million. Kentucky's coach earned 27% of the program's revenues. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls had $372 million in revenues and paid its coach $6 million, which means that Billy Donovan made 1.6% of the Bulls revenues.

Why the disparity? Because by far the major value for coaches is their salesmanship -- attracting players and soliciting donations from the alums. All that actual coaching stuff is basically a commodity. All NBA coaches decades learn the same lessons and do largely the same things. NBA owners and GMs know that, which is why college coaches are paid FAR more than university presidents, while NBA coaches are paid like 8th men in the rotation.

That’s certainly a huge part of it. In college, the HC is everything. In the NBA he coaches. In the NBA the GM role is vastly more important to team success. In the NCAA the HC is the GM.

[Ice Man]

In the NCAA the HC is the GM.

He's a super GM, because whereas NBA GMs can only target players who are out of contract or available for trade, and who must fit into the team's budget, John Calipari can target any high school senior in the country.

[WindyCityBorn]

There is no such thing as a good fit for this roster. Considering how BD was able to keep it afloat with duct tape and staples, he might even be the best fit alive.

Billy didn't keep a damned thing afloat.
-Alienated his best player
-Relied on Demar ball to bail him out instead of actually running an NBA offense
-Refused to play 2 bigs when matchups dictated, then when he finally did and they worked a couple times, started playing them when the match-ups DON'T dictate it.
-Has no clue with rotations
-Poor in-game decision making (although his time-out use has finally gotten better. What NBA head coach takes 3 seasons to figure out how and when to ujse his time outs?)
-The magic was taking a 43 win roster and getting 39 wins out of it.

How about how Lauri became an all star starter the second he started playing his game instead of whatever role Donovan pigeonholed him into. Maybe Billy’s system works in college but he’s refused to adjust to the nba over the last decade.

Lauri wasn’t an all-star in Cleveland. So I guess they missed on him too. But obviously they don’t need him with Mobley and Allen.

[WindyCityBorn]

Why would Billy want to leave the NBA to go coach college ? NBA is the much better job no matter what what team it is especially the bulls. Let’s not forget he’s still under contract.

Wouldn’t make much sense for him to do this unless he knows the Bulls will fire him in the offseason.

Aside from anything else, it pays substantially more.

No one leaves the NBA for college for an extra 2 million. They only leave if they get fired. Billy is only leaving if its clear the Bulls might move on from him soon.

Nick Saban voluntarily left the NFL for college. Worked out great for him.

[patryk7754]

With NIL, pro coaches will probably be way more reluctant to go back to college, across all sports...

But if Donovan does leave for Kentucky, I would like to explore the possibility of hiring Jay Wright. He's one of the better coaches in basketball and has done an excellent job coaching NBA talent. I thkn He and Bud would be my top two choices for a potential Donovan replacement

[Jcool0]

Aside from anything else, it pays substantially more.

No one leaves the NBA for college for an extra 2 million. They only leave if they get fired. Billy is only leaving if its clear the Bulls might move on from him soon.

Nick Saban voluntarily left the NFL for college. Worked out great for him.

Saban was 15-17 in the NFL and passed on signing Drew Bees. And do you know who also voluntarily left the NFL... Bobby Petrino.

[Rose2Boozer]

Lazy ass Billy Donovan don't want to be bothered by recruiting, NIL, and the transfer portal. The league is going have to kick him out before he goes back to college basketball.

[WindyCityBorn]

No one leaves the NBA for college for an extra 2 million. They only leave if they get fired. Billy is only leaving if its clear the Bulls might move on from him soon.

Nick Saban voluntarily left the NFL for college. Worked out great for him.

Saban was 15-17 in the NFL and passed on signing Drew Bees. And do you know who also voluntarily left the NFL... Bobby Petrino.

And Donovan has a terrible record in Chicago. He would definitely be more successful at Kentucky.

[WindyCityBorn]

Lazy ass Billy Donovan don't want to be bothered by recruiting, NIL, and the transfer portal. The league is going have to kick him out before he goes back to college basketball.

The Bulls organization are full of men that are just happy to be here. Including many of the players. Pitiful.

[Chi town]

With NIL, pro coaches will probably be way more reluctant to go back to college, across all sports...

But if Donovan does leave for Kentucky, I would like to explore the possibility of hiring Jay Wright. He's one of the better coaches in basketball and has done an excellent job coaching NBA talent. I thkn He and Bud would be my top two choices for a potential Donovan replacement

Jay Wright would be my #1 target.

I like Bud too. Had dinner with him years ago when Hawks played the Dubs.

[Jcool0]

Nick Saban voluntarily left the NFL for college. Worked out great for him.

Saban was 15-17 in the NFL and passed on signing Drew Bees. And do you know who also voluntarily left the NFL... Bobby Petrino.

And Donovan has a terrible record in Chicago. He would definitely be more successful at Kentucky.

One problem. Its not terrible and you could even consider it good considering the injuries on this team.

[HomoSapien]

Kentucky basketball revenues (2022) were $31.2 million, with Calipari making $8.5 million. Kentucky's coach earned 27% of the program's revenues. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls had $372 million in revenues and paid its coach $6 million, which means that Billy Donovan made 1.6% of the Bulls revenues.

Why the disparity? Because by far the major value for coaches is their salesmanship -- attracting players and soliciting donations from the alums. All that actual coaching stuff is basically a commodity. All NBA coaches decades learn the same lessons and do largely the same things. NBA owners and GMs know that, which is why college coaches are paid FAR more than university presidents, while NBA coaches are paid like 8th men in the rotation.

I definitely get why someone would rather be a college coach than NBA coach. In the NCAA, the coach is basically the franchise player. Plus, you don't have to deal with player entitlement as much AND you are coaching way less games.

[WindyCityBorn]

Saban was 15-17 in the NFL and passed on signing Drew Bees. And do you know who also voluntarily left the NFL... Bobby Petrino.

And Donovan has a terrible record in Chicago. He would definitely be more successful at Kentucky.

One problem. Its not terrible and you could even consider it good considering the injuries on this team.

A losing record is terrible this far in. He would have been fired from most NBA teams by now even with the injury excuses. Instead AK extended him! Saban was 15-17 and you pointed that out.

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[jnrjr79]

If BD has any interest, he's in a pretty good spot for a big payday at this point with the other big names having turned the job down.

[DuckIII]

I haven’t followed it super closely for two reasons:

1. Changing the coach of this team is like painting your house while it’s burning down. I do not care because it will just change the combination of letters people type when complaining.

2. I figured Drew was basically a lock to take it if offered. I’m shocked he turned it down.

Now, in my view, there’s a real chance BD could be in play. And if he is wooo boy I gotta tell ya, I still don’t care.

[kodo]

Read on Twitter

This is interesting because all the latest news had him being the hire for UK.

[jnrjr79]

I haven’t followed it super closely for two reasons:

1. Changing the coach of this team is like painting your house while it’s burning down. I do not care because it will just change the combination of letters people type when complaining.

2. I figured Drew was basically a lock to take it if offered. I’m shocked he turned it down.

Now, in my view, there’s a real chance BD could be in play. And if he is wooo boy I gotta tell ya, I still don’t care.

I mildly care to the extent Billy leaving may marginally increase the chance of rebuilding.