Columns

Legacy is out the door, too

The man had a better job offer. In the end, it was as simple as that.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published June 1, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Brian Cassella] Joakim Noah picks up coach Billy Donovan as they celebrate the Gators' win against Oregon in the Midwest Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament.

The man had a better job offer. In the end, it was as simple as that.

Billy Donovan was offered more power. Probably more prestige. And certainly more millions than a university employee can rightfully expect.

So why does today's news feel so wrong?

Why should you care if Donovan walks away from the comfort of his office at the University of Florida to step into the buzz saw of the NBA in Orlando?

I suppose it's because many of us still believe in the fairy tale.

We saw the confetti fall at midcourt in Indianapolis and assumed it would forever color his world. We watched him embrace his players in Atlanta, and believed this was a relationship that would last a lifetime.

It's not that Donovan cares so much about his bank account, but that he would care so little about his legacy.

For that may be the real cost of this move. Donovan is taking on a bigger challenge and advancing to a higher tax bracket, but he is also bypassing the opportunity to be an icon in a world where so few exist.

And I say this with absolutely no rancor.

Just regret.

None of us can blame a coach whose salary may have just doubled. And why tsk-tsk a man who is driven to find a more interesting and invigorating challenge?

It's just that our roster of legends seems to dwindle with each turn of the calendar, and Donovan was one of our remaining hopes for this generation.

Larry Brown once bounced between the college game and the NBA. Rick Pitino went back and forth a couple of times, too. And, today, they remain well-respected and certainly well-compensated.

But they are not really beloved.

Not in the way Dean Smith was at North Carolina. Or John Wooden at UCLA. Or even Bob Knight at Indiana.

There is something special about the bond between a college coach and a community. Some of it is simply because major colleges have built-in advantages, and so the coaches find it easier to win. Not to mention remain popular and employed.

But much of the bond is sentimental, too. College players come and go, so the coach becomes the face of a program. And for someone such as Donovan, who created memories where there once were none, the link can be even greater.

"Mike Krzyzewski had all those dollars thrown at him by the Lakers, but he said, 'Hey, I fit the puzzle at Duke, ' " Dick Vitale told Times reporter Brian Landman. "And I feel Billy fits the puzzle at Florida."

In a way, this may explain why Donovan is so good. Maybe the same inner drive that compels him to seek a new mountain to conquer is exactly the reason he was a success in Gainesville.

And the timing, I suppose, is right. Donovan's leverage in the NBA may never be higher than today. The Gators are coming off back-to-back national championships and are losing all five of their starters.

But you have to believe the culture shock will be extreme. Donovan is leaving what may have been the most unselfish team we have ever seen in college basketball to join a league where ego is measured by the ton.

Will he succeed in Orlando?

The odds are against him. The recent list of college coaches who have tripped over their paychecks in the NBA is considerable.

Still, Donovan is sharp enough to be the exception. He is charismatic, and he is driven. At 42, he is young enough to relate to the players and his resume is impressive enough to get their attention.

Plus, he is not taking over a team in the dumps. With Dwight Howard in the middle of the lineup, the Magic has a legitimate chance to grow.

Florida, no doubt, will survive too. The Gators may have a few disgruntled recruits on their hands, and some angry boosters will probably shout about the lackadaisical pace taken with Donovan's contract extension.

But, in the end, Donovan's success will be used to attract some other up-and-comer. Just as Steve Spurrier's success eventually begat Urban Meyer.

So does anybody really lose in this transaction?

Donovan is certainly richer today. And the Magic has a chance to be relevant again for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left a decade ago.

I suppose our faith is the only casualty. That flickering belief that playing fields are somehow different than board rooms. That naive hope that a coach such as Donovan believed in the romance of a lifelong partnership.

Turns out, Billy the Kid was just another hired gun.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com or 727 893-8811.

[Last modified June 1, 2007, 00:17:56]