Donovan Leaves Orlando at the Altar

Gators coach finds it too hard to say goodbye, will stay in Gainesville
Posted Jun 5, 2007 5:48 AM CDT
Donovan Leaves Orlando at the Altar
Florida coach Billy Donovan cuts down the net after his Gators defeated Ohio State 84-75 in the Final Four basketball championship at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, in this April 2, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)   (Associated Press)

After signing a $27.5 million deal on Friday to coach the NBA's Orlando Magic, two-time champion coach Billy Donovan has decided he wants to stay in Gainesville after all.  This makes him the third college coach since June 2006 to renege on a new deal in order to stay with his school.

Creighton's Dana Altman and College of Charleston's Gregg Marshall also backed out of new deals, in their cases with other college programs.  SI writer Luke Winn opines that in the effort to prevent drawn-out dramas that undermine a team's stability, coaching deals may be made too quickly, pressuring coaches to make snap decisions they can easily come to regret. (More NBA stories.)

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