Legendary UF coach Billy Donovan to be honored during Florida Gators football opener

Legendary hoops coach Billy Donovan last coached the Florida Gators in 2015, but he always has remained close to the school—and to Gainesville. Now, UF plans to honor him once more.

UF has announced that in advance of his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Donovan will be recognized during an in-game ceremony at Florida’s football opener against Long Island Univery on Aug. 30, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Per a UF release, “the 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame class will be enshrined Sept. 5-6 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Donovan was originally announced as a member of the 2025 Hall of Fame class on April 5, when he was honored along with the entire class at halftime of the Gators’ Final Four win in San Antonio.”

Donovan, currently coach of the Chicago Bulls, led the Gators to national titles in 2006 and ’07. His Florida teams made four Final Four appearances. Meanwhile, he recorded 500-plus combined victories at Florida and Marshall (1994-96). After leaving UF, he has coached in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-20) and Chicago Bulls (2020-present) and has over 400 wins.

Dilly Donovan arrived at UF in 1996

Billy Donovan, now 60, was only 30 when Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley snatched him from Marshall to replace Lon Kruger as Gators coach. It ended up being one of the best hires in the history of SEC athletics — not just at Florida. Donovan went 467–186 in Gainesville and made the Elite Eight or better seven times. Donovan’s program is one of only eight to have won consecutive national championships in men’s college basketball.

Because he had such an outstanding career as a college coach, some may tend to forget Donovan also was an elite college player. He averaged 20 points and 7 assists a game as a senior to lead Providence to the 1987 Final Four.