Donovan rumors just rumors, Foley says

By Michael DiRocco, The Florida Times-Union
May 19th 2007
GAINESVILLE - Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley is convinced that Billy Donovan will be on the Gators' bench next season - but he wouldn't be surprised if he hears the basketball coach's name linked to the Houston Rockets' just-opened vacancy. In fact, Donovan could be linked to any other NBA or major college opening this year or in the future.
That's an unwanted accompaniment to Florida's back-to-back NCAA titles: Donovan is a hot commodity.
"You've got a quality coach, people want [to hire him]," Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley said Friday during Florida's baseball game against Tennessee. "I don't worry about that. The University of Florida doesn't worry about that. Billy's made it pretty clear that he's committed to the University of Florida, so I can't help rumors and never have worried about rumors."
Most of those rumors concern the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic.
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, who fired coach Mike Fratello in late December, met with Donovan earlier this month. A Yahoo.com report said Donovan wanted total control of the franchise, and while the Grizzlies were willing to pay him $5 million per year, they weren't willing to give him that control.
If the Magic decides to part ways with coach Brian Hill, it's speculated by various media outlets that the team will make a run at Donovan, who didn't return several phone messages left by the Times-Union.
However, Foley is convinced that Donovan won't be going anywhere any time soon.
"The bottom line is Billy Donovan always tells me what's going on, so if he was going to go interview with someone or sit down and talk to somebody. ... Billy and I have a relationship [and] as such, I know exactly what he's doing," Foley said. "Every time I hear a rumor about him, I don't call him. He's got better things to do, and I've got better things to do."
Yet Foley knows that Donovan - who's 261-103 in 11 seasons - might not finish his career in Gainesville.
Donovan has said in the past that he's intrigued by the NBA, and he eventually might want to follow the same route as his friend and mentor, current Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who left Kentucky for the Boston Celtics in 1998.
Foley could eventually face the same situation with football coach Urban Meyer, who has won Southeastern Conference and national championships in just two seasons at Florida. With that kind of success, it's only a matter of time before the NFL comes sniffing at Meyer.
"At some point in time, if either one of those coaches decides that that's what they want to do with their lives, we're not going to be able to control it anyway," Foley said. "All we've always worried about is what we can control. We try to treat them fairly. We're proactive with their contracts, but at some point in time, if Billy Donovan says, 'You know, I want to coach in the NBA,' and Urban says, 'I want to coach in the NFL,' just like with coach [Steve] Spurrier, there's nothing you can do."
Still, Foley is doing his best to make sure Donovan and Meyer don't leave because of financial issues. The school is working on contract extensions for both coaches, with annual salaries expected to be in the $3 million to $4 million range.
Foley has refuted an ESPN.com report that Donovan is close to signing the extension, saying the two sides are still negotiating terms and the contract cannot be completed until it's approved by the University Athletic Association's compensation committee.
A meeting to do that hasn't been scheduled, according to Foley.
"It'll get done when it gets done," Foley said. "At some point in time, that will get done, Urban's will get done, and the University of Florida will announce it when it is done."