Florida fans shouldn't dismiss the chances of a reunion with Billy Donovan

Billy Donovan is going to take a break this season. It's hard to speculate what the former Florida Gators coach will do with his time off. Maybe he'll end up on TV or just spend the months with his family and focus more on the philanthropic work he's done over the years. There's also the possibility that he'll take an increased role with USA Basketball, where he previously served as the head coach of their under-18 and under-19 teams on the international stage. 

But the chances are good that Donovan is heading back to college basketball. There's plenty of speculation that the two-time national champion coach is looking for a blue-blood program. Could that be Kentucky if it decides to end the Mark Pope experiment? What about Kansas? Bill Self seems to be entertaining the idea of retiring soon and Donovan previously coached the Oklahoma City Thunder before moving to the Chicago Bulls, so he's familiar with that part of the country. But could Donovan's next college home be his old college home? Anything can happen in college sports and a return to the Gators wouldn't be as surprising as you might think.

READ MORE: Billy Donovan turned Florida into basketball royalty and is now in the Hall of Fame

Timing and opportunity could bring Billy Donovan back to Florida

The chatter about Todd Golden and the Golden State Warriors wasn't going to happen in 2026-27, but it doesn't mean that the NBA isn't going to continue to be the carrot that is dangled in front of the 40-year-old coach. He's already won a national championship, and with the return of forwards Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, the Gators will be the preseason No. 1 and are the favorites to win the national championship in 2027. It would be very easy and understandable for Golden to grab a second title and move on to another challenge. If the Gators' job is open and Donovan is on the market, a reunion seems like a good possibility.

Donovan has plenty of reasons to return to Florida if the opportunity presented itself. He's revered at the school, and even in the new age of college basketball, with widespread transfers, the NIL and other teams trying to sign guys that are a few years from collecting Social Security, Florida has proven that it can and is willing to compete at the top levels. There's nothing that Kentucky can do for Donovan that Florida wouldn't be able to do. And the fanbase in Gainesville isn't as overbearing or entitled. Besides, he's already turned down the Wildcats three times, when will they finally take 'no' for an answer?

READ MORE: UNC’s pursuit of Billy Donovan ends in a way nobody expected

At this point, it's all fun to think about because there's also no guarantee that Donovan won't go back to the NBA. He's won more games than he's lost in the league and made the playoffs six times. Just because he's taking a break from coaching, doesn't mean he's taking a break from the NBA. However, if he's done with pro basketball, but still has the coaching bug, there might be a chance to return to Gainesville after Golden wins another title. 

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