As a player he was known simply as "Billy the Kid". A player with fire, passion and discipline. An overachiever.
A kid no more, Donovan concluded his 11th season at the University of Florida culmunating the Gators' rise as a Division I basketball power, winning a 2nd straight National Championship and earning a place among the greatest teams of all-time.
In just over a decade Coach Donovan has done the unthinkable at Florida. He has taken a program that experienced brief moments of success and has made history.
• Two National Championships and three appearances in the title game
• Three consecutive SEC Tournament titles, the only three in UF history
• No. 1 ranking in the nation in four of the last five years, including starting and finishing the 2006-07 season in that spot
• Nine straight 20-win seasons and two straight 30-win seasons, including a school record 35 wins in 2006-07
• Nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances
Billy Donovan is one of only six men who have both played and coached in the Final Four.
Off the court, Donovan's players have excelled in the classroom. A league-best 44 Gators have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, under Donovan, including a record 6 in 1997 and 98. In 2002-03, Matt Bonner earned his second consecutive Academic All-American of the Year award while earning First Team Academic All-American for the third straight year. Eighteen of the 20 Seniors who have suited up to play for Coach Donovan have graduated from the University of Florida.