Billy Donovan

Sam Smith

Billy Donovan became the fifth to be named a Coach of the Month winner for the Bulls.

The Bulls have had 18 full-time coaches in franchise history back to Johnny Kerr in the 1966-67 expansion season. Billy Donovan Thursday became the fifth to be named a Coach of the Month winner for the Bulls.

Although the Bulls were just 9-7 in November, the month for which Donovan was honored, they rode through the period remaining at 14-8 tied for second in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half behind the first place Brooklyn Nets.

But the Bulls faced perhaps the most difficult schedule in the league with 12 consecutive games to begin the month again playoff teams. The Bulls won on the road in November in Boston, twice in Los Angeles back to back, and in Denver. The Bulls also defeated the front running Nets by 23 points and closed the month earlier this week with a decisive win over the developing Charlotte Hornets.

Donovan, in his second season as Bulls coach after a 31-41 start amidst trades and massive changes, becomes the first Bulls coach named NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month since Tom Thibodeau in January 2013.

The Bulls Thursday were in New York to play Thibodeau's Knicks.

Thibodeau said before the game he has been a friend of Donovan's since the two met when Donovan was a player at Providence with Jeff Van Gundy an assistant coach for Rick Pitino on that team. Donovan was an unlikely overachiever to help lead that team to the 1987 NCAA Final Four. That staff also included future NBA coaches Stu Jackson and Gordon Chiesa as well as Van Gundy.

"I have great respect for him," said Thibodeau. "I think he's a terrific coach and even a better person."

The NBA began selecting Coach of the Month winners in 1982. The first was Scotty Robertson then with the Pistons. Robertson was an interim Bulls coach in 1979 after Larry Costello was fired. Doug Collins in 1987 was the first Bulls coach to receive the honor. Phil Jackson was named four times, Scott Skiles two and Thibodeau six times.

It's also perhaps the start of recognition for the Bulls franchise after a fallow period in which no coach or players has been named a month award winner since Jimmy Butler seven years ago. Coby White was named Rookie of the Month in February 2020 after Nikola Mirotic in March 2014. 

"I think anytime you are in a team setting and there is any kind of acknowledgement, per se, I think it's always a reflection of the coaching staff and the players and the organization, in my opinion," Donovan said prior to the game. "The players are the ones who do it out there on the court. This has been a great group to deal with; obviously, I'm very very humbled by it and honored by it. But I also realize without the players and the staff, I just happened to be the one being recognized. But to me it's really a recognition of our team.

"I think that (coming together so quickly with a revamped roster) speaks to maybe what I have been talking about from Day 1, the willingness of these guys to come back into Chicago after Labor Day to get to work with each other, to get to know each other, to spend time on the court playing with one another," said Donovan. "I think the work they put in during training camp, the fact that we knew it was an entirely new group and an entirely new team and we were starting from scratch. You know there were a lot of teams, especially in the East, that have a lot of continuity and consistency and have been together. And we're one of those teams that hasn't. We tried to expedite some of those growing pains; we've gone through them this year. We've had to learn to play without Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) with Covid; Coby's got his situation (now out with Covid with what Donovan said are mild, cold-like symptoms). Patrick (Williams, out for four-to-six months, injured). Everybody's kind of learned how to play together. So I think it's more of a reflection on how much time and effort and time and energy those guys have put into trying to become a team and trying to continue to grow and get better as a group each day."

The Suns Monty Williams was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for November.

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Billy Donovan 'Honored' To Be Fifth Coach of The Month in Chicago Bulls history

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1-on-1 with Bulls head coach Billy Donovan

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Zach LaVine spoke to the media on Thursday from Advocate Bulls Minicamp where he talked about multiple topics, including his excitement for the hiring of Billy Donovan.

Devin Booker was the star of the NBA bubble/campus seeding games, averaging more than 30 points for the undefeated Phoenix Suns. Did you know he was that good?

Denver's Jamal Murray has been the breakout star of the playoffs, averaging a Wilt-like 47.3 per game in a three-game stretch during the first round playoff series and now averaging 27 per game, second among the remaining players. Who knew?

Well, Zach LaVine did because he's been one of those guys, performing exceptionally well, if often out of sight.

Murray and Booker got their chances thanks to the new location.

LaVine hopes now his new coach, Billy Donovan, helps him step into the sunlight of acknowledged excellence. Sometimes all it takes is being noticed. Perhaps now with the experienced and respected Donovan, people will begin to notice LaVine and the Bulls. It's difficult to be seen when the lights are off.

"Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, these guys have been doing this for the last couple of years," LaVine was saying Thursday in a Zoom media conference after their Bulls minicamp session at the Advocate Center. "I just think now that the national media has been able to see it... I put myself in that category (averaging 25.5 per game this season, one fewer than Booker and seven more than Murray). I feel like I've been doing really good these last couple of years. But you might just not have been able to see it or get those opportunities (because of the Bulls poor record). I'm happy to see my peers do good. Obviously, I wish I had that opportunity as well. So it just makes me work a lot harder so I can get on that stage to prove I'm on that level and compete at that level as well."

Zach LaVine fired up during a game against OKC last season.

The Bulls and new chief basketball executive Arturas Karnisovas believe they took a big step toward that level this week with the hiring of former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan. LaVine, who said he spoke with former coach Jim Boylen following his dismissal, said he immediately asked Karnisovas for Donovan's telephone number.

"I look at myself as someone who is extremely professional," said LaVine, the Bulls leading scorer. "I reached out to (Boylen), gave him a thank you and told him I hope he lands on his feet. Everything was good on the phone. At the end of the day, regardless of whatever the media narrative is, it's tough when people get fired because this is their livelihood. I definitely just wanted to reach out to him and say a few words.

"When you want to be great, you want to be coached extremely well," LaVine added. "I gave (Donovan) a text right when I heard the news. I told him hurry to get after it. I'm extremely excited. I think the whole organization is. Somebody with his track record, not just in the NBA but in college as well. A whole ton of players who are proven saying how great of a guy he is and how good of a coach he is. It was unexpected. It was something that I think a lot of people didn't see coming. I think it just shows what Arturas and Marc (GM Eversley) are bringing to the table on uplifting this franchise right now. We're definitely excited and just ready to get after it. We're in the minicamp right now. We haven't seen each other or talked to each other for awhile. So definitely being a little competitive, being able to talk and play a little bit. Also having those conversations of being ready to be ready for next year and really having something to go after.

"At the end of the day, the players are the ones who are playing," LaVine did point out. "You can't always divert blame. Injuries happen in sports. It's gotta be next man up. I'm always on the side of the players' (responsibility) because we're the ones playing the games. Coaches put us in position to get us better and help us win games. But the players are the ones out there. It's a collective unit. As a player you always have to look at yourself first."

Zach LaVine's full media availability during Advocate Bulls Minicamp on Thursday

LaVine says he's doing that and promises to return for next season even better.

"I've been working out a lot, obviously, and playmaking has been a big one, working on my passes and my playmaking ability," LaVine said. "Obviously, I've been able to get to the cup and obviously provide for myself. But now look for others. I think that can be the next step in my game. If I'm a much better playmaker and looking to do that a lot better, I think that can take my game (and team) to another level."

Like the shooting point guards who have been exceptional in these playoffs, like Booker, Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and the point forwards like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and, of course, LeBron.

That next step for LaVine into the elite company also comes with the Bulls finally experiencing competition.

The Bulls were inequitably left out of the Orlando games when the NBA arbitrarily decided 22 teams were enough for a league conclusion. Which gave Booker and the Suns an opportunity the Bulls didn't get despite similar underachieving regular seasons. Apparently realizing the injustice done to those eight teams considering the NBA may not play again until into 2021, the league and players association agreed to similarly ensconced playing arenas for those teams, including the Bulls. The Bulls players were virus tested daily last week and then went to a downtown hotel for quarantine for two days before beginning scrimmages Wednesday. "I made it through (the quarantine)," LaVine said with a laugh. "A bunch of video games, Netflix. I talked to my fiancé a lot. Outside of that, it's been really good being able to get back to some competitive stuff. We've been working out on our own. But it hasn't been any real structure to it. Getting your own workouts in or get a trainer or whatever. Getting back with a group of guys, being able to talk a little mess, get some competitiveness and some contact; it's been fun. Guys are happy to be in the gym. From what I've seen, it's been a really positive vibe we haven't felt in a long time, a lot of positive energy. Lauri (Markkanen) was knocking down a lot of shots today, Chandler (Hutchison) is healthy, Otto (Porter) is healthy. Otto is doing his thing, lot of stepbacks. Really happy to see the team healthy again; we haven't see that in awhile."

What LaVine has seen is a lot of coaches, Donovan being his sixth in seven NBA years. He's ready for some stability as are the Bulls. He's hopeful it's Donovan.

"It's hard to have a coach and then go to another one and you're in different offenses and philosophies," LaVine pointed out. "I've heard he's very personable, somebody who's gonna coach and coach the right way. I've heard he's not a beat-around-the-bush guy. And he's been a father to some guys. I don't know Joakim Noah personally, but I've heard him through interviews say how (Donovan's) been more than a coach to him. That carries weight. Especially from a guy like that who's very respected in the league. And being voted co-coach of the year. Not by the media, but by your peers."

LaVine also said he was encouraged when reporters informed him of Donovan's welcome of all aspects of a player's offensive game. And not necessarily just long shots.

"I feel like it's going to be a lot better for guys, especially for me, if you have that part of your game now and you can use all your tools," said LaVine. "Instead of almost playing with one hand behind your back and if you get to the midrange you're not supposed to shoot a shot that's open. I'm not saying that we should be taking strictly midrange jumpers. I know he doesn't think that, either. But if it's a good shot, you should take it and you shouldn't feel bad about it.

"When a coach is straight up with you I'm fine with that," said LaVine. "From what I've heard about Billy Donovan he's a straight up coach who's going to tell you how it is whether you are doing good or bad. I'm excited to see how it works out."

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Zach LaVine ready to take his game to the next level, excited for Billy Donovan's arrival

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Once Billy Donovan became a coaching free agent, Arturas Karnisovas told media on Thursday that he was "relentless" in convincing him Chicago was his best landing spot.

Billy Donovan doesn't smile much, but his presence can't seem to stop Arturas Karnisovas from revealing his happy face.

"I could not stop smiling from the moment we agreed on a deal," the Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations told media during a Thursday morning Zoom conference.

Karnisovas was resume deep in a coaching search Sept. 8 when Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder surprisingly announced Donovan would not return with the end of his five-year contract and the Thunder's seventh-game playoff elimination in Orlando by the Houston Rockets. Rumors and speculation was Karnisovas after perhaps a dozen preliminary coaching interviews had narrowed his list to several top NBA assistant coaches and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. Karnisovas said he immediately edited his list to include Donovan.

"We didn't expect him to be available," Karnisovas acknowledged. "Once he became available, right away we reached out to Billy and asked if he was available to go through this process. He agreed and here we are."

That's with a new Bulls coach coming off a five-year run with Oklahoma City during which his teams won more than 60 percent of their games and Donovan, who was co-coach of the year in 2020 named by the coaches' association, established a league wide reputation for strong communication and relations with players.

"With all of our research and background, certain things emerged regarding Coach Donovan," Karnisovas said. "The most impressive being the relationships he's built with players, coaches and [executives] that have worked with him over the years. He has built a reputation around the league as someone who values others and has a great passion for growing and developing players. Those that have played for Billy trust his coaching acumen and perhaps more importantly trust him as a person. In all of my conversations and my personal meetings with Billy, two things stood out: First, he's a great communicator and values his relationships with others, and second, he has the ability to inspire enthusiasm in others to strive for a common goal. He believes deeply that it's about the journey and who we're with that matters."

Donovan said he drove back to his permanent home in Florida after the Sept. 8 Thunder announcement, a 17-hour trip.

General Manager Marc Eversley and Arturas Karnisovas

He said Karnisovas immediately was on the telephone asking to meet by Friday of that week. Donovan said he requested a bit of time to decompress. Karnisonas and General Manager Marc Eversley flew to Florida Monday Sept. 14 to meet. Donovan said by Tuesday night they had an agreement.

"We evaluate the coaches who can give you the best chance to succeed and build this program," said Karnsiovas. "Once he became available, Billy was identified by our group as the guy. The next step was to sell it to Billy. We were relentless in terms of trying to find ways to continue communication and prove to Billy that we are the (best) next landing spot and we were able to do it."

Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas, introduces new Head Coach Billy Donovan to the media in an online press conference

Though Karnisovas is loath to detail plans, he indicated the team's future will be considerably reliant on the talent they have.

"We spoke about different ways of building a program from the draft to trades to free agency and the biggest attention is player development," said Karnisovas. "We have to develop our own players. They have to get better in order for us to succeed. To talk to Billy, we were on the same page the way he believed as well. And want to do it together. Watching him coach last year, I think it's one of the most impressive jobs he did. His ability to adapt, to adjust, to change things based on his roster and what he has was really impressive regardless of the (personnel) turnover. I think the successful programs have consistency and continuity. We've got to get to the point of consistency, to sustain certain guys for a longer period of time and have a chance to develop those guys.

"From Billy's resume to him being just a great human being, I think I'm going to go after the best (talent) available regardless of my relationship with a person," said Karnisovas. "I'll do all the background checks, I'll do all the calls to make sure I'm getting the right guy. Billy was the guy for us."

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Arturas Karnisovas "could not stop smiling" when Bulls landed Billy Donovan

After a lengthy introductory press conference with the media on Thursday, it's clear why Arturas Karnisovas zeroed in on Billy Donovan to be the franchise's next head coach.

Billy Donovan spoke with media Thursday for more than an hour. He didn't say anything memorable like Churchill did during the World War II blitz when he called it England's finest hour. Or Nelson Mandela when he said it's impossible until it's done. Or like FDR in his fireside chats about a smooth sea never making a skilled sailor. Though Donovan did frequently go nautical with metaphors about being in the same boat.

I listened to Donovan for more than an hour and perhaps 6,000 words and couldn't come up with a lead sentence.

This is not to suggest a foursome with Churchill, FDR and Mandela would ever include Billy Donovan. But he does, like they did, seem to offer reassurance and hope, if not always specifics.

The Bulls are piling into the dinghy of new coach Billy Donovan, and you do get the sense this time it's sturdier and not going to leak.

"I've never been a guy that's come in with this is a two-year plan, this is a three-year plan, this is a four-year plan," said Donovan. "I've always tried to take the approach of how do we get better today? How do we maximize today? It's never going to be on a linear, upward trend all the time. The biggest thing in all those situations is you have to have everybody rowing the boat the same direction. You have to have everybody inside the organization making each other better.

OKC Thunder center Steven Adams and Billy Donovon

"I wanted to be in a situation where everybody is rowing the boat in the same direction, everybody is pulling together, everybody is working for the same cause, a lot of really good dialogue and communication," Donovan added. "The word he (Karnisovas) kept using to me, which was powerful to me, is partnership. 'I want to be partnered with somebody and I want to work and build together and have good dialogue and good communication and work very, very closely together and be involved with each other at every possible level of the organization.' That's really what it came down to for me. You're a part of it all the way through from top to bottom. I think Arturas was looking for that, looking to partner with somebody as a coach to try and continue to develop and build the program."

If Donovan's New York accented soliloquy often was short on specifics, it was long on solace. Donovan, 55, hasn't often been mentioned with the coaching gods like Jackson, Riley and Popovich. But he's not someone you'll ever find beached on a ship of fools. He doesn't have to talk about being a leader; he talks like a leader.

Coaching no longer is about Woody Hayes and Bobby Knight. But with his chiseled, square jaw and military buzz cut Oliver North bearing, Donovan looks like he can get you snap to attention without saying anything.

"This kind of came out of left field for me," Donovan admitted. "I had no idea that any of this was necessarily going on. Then Arturas (Karnisovas) said, ‘Hey, listen, I really just want to be able to sit down and talk and just share what my vision is and see if it matches up with what you think.' So I didn't really have any team per se on my radar. I really didn't know after leaving Oklahoma City what the future would hold. I didn't know if I'd be sitting out. If that happened, I would have been OK with it. But this was a situation that transpired that I just thought, ‘Wow, this is just a great opportunity to really work and partner with somebody here in Arturas.' And just getting a chance to meet Jerry and Michael (Reinsdorfs) and talk to them. Those things really hit home for me and really resonated with me. And from there things really progressed pretty quickly."

Donovan, wearing a white dress shirt spoke on a Zoom conference from Florida even as the Bulls this week started their mini-bubble at the Advocate Center with their first scrimmages since the March NBA closure. He has to quarantine before he could be involved, but he said he's texted with some of the players and obviously will begin to follow up.

Billy Donovan coaching Joakim Noah at the University of Florida in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Donovan said he spoke with former Bull Joakim Noah who led his two University of Florida national championship teams. "He had unbelievable things to say about the city of Chicago, about the organization," said Donovan. "He obviously spent the majority of his career in Chicago, loved every minute of it. He's actually talked about coming back and doing charity work for the Bulls, maybe later in his career. I think he's probably going to evaluate what the next step for himself is as a player, what that looks like with the Clippers."

As close as Donovan got to Xs and Os was an observation about today's game and how he's not aligned with any particular pop theory.

"If you've got a team that maybe is not a great three-point shooting team or you have a team that has some players that like playing in the mid-range... I had Carmelo who liked doing that; so did Paul George," Donovan related. "Those guys were elite offensive players for their entire careers. So you don't want to take away what's made them who they are.

"But what are the things you have to do to offset a lot of those three-point shots that are going up?" Donovan asked inching his toe briefly into the strategy waters. "One is you can't turn the ball over. Two is you have to rebound really, really well and then you've got to get to the free-throw line. I think you want players to play to their strengths and in playing to their strengths, we had some players like SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Dennis Schroder, they're penetrating, getting in the paint kind of guards and they're really good and I would not want to tell a player, 'Hey listen, we're not going to take a two-point shot, we're only going to take threes or you can't go here.' Some of the star players, they're star players because of what they do well. So how do you put them in a position that they can do what they do well?

Billy Donovan and Chris Paul inside the NBA's playoff bubble in Orlando.

"I've (also) always said, personnel-based, if you don't want to take non-paint twos then you can't have non-paint two (type) players. If you want to be a three-point shooting team, you've got to put all three-point shooters out there. For certain players it's not a great shot. I think there's certain players that feel more comfortable under 15 feet. I know with Chris Paul and being with him last year, seeing him shoot the ball, he is an amazing mid-range jump shooter and I would never want to take that away from him because it makes him who he is. You want to utilize those things because that's what's made him great."

Donovan as coach sometimes is questioned for how great his teams should have been. He always had at least one All-Star on his roster. Russell Westbrook was league MVP with Donovan and Kevin Durant was MVP two seasons before he arrived. But it's been viewed as a positive for the Bulls roster that Donovan apparently demurred about coaching a rebuilding in Oklahoma City (he predictably said conversations with a former employer should remain private) while embracing a Bulls roster that peaked at 27 wins during the last three seasons.

"When we sat down and we talked about the roster, I thought that this roster is (more) talented than what they showed the last two years," Donovan said. "That they had a lot of potential. We kind of agreed there's a good mix of young players and vets. We have a lot — from picks to cap space in the future — to build this team. So on both sides I think there was a lot of optimism.

Full Billy Donovan Introductory Press Conference

"I think looking at the team there's some really, really good quality players," Donovan insisted. "Lauri (Markkanen) is always a unique player with his skill set and his ability. Zach LaVine is a guy that's got great offensive ability and can create his own shot. I recruited Wendell Carter a little bit out of high school, so I am familiar with him when he was younger. He's a very, very high character, talented big man. I think you look at the veterans in Thaddeus (Young) and Otto (Porter). They've got a good blend there as well. I've had a chance to pretty intimately recruit Ryan Arcidiacono. I think the biggest thing is trying to help the group become a team. That's not to say they were or not, but getting them to play together, to play for each other. I think the last several years for them they've had an enormous amount of injuries. They've certainly had setbacks. But I like the fact that there is a nice blend of some older guys and some younger guys and I look forward to get together and working with them."

Which perhaps is the frustrating part now for the one time overachieving New York born point guard from Providence who providentially remade the University of Florida basketball program.

Once the Bulls bubble pops, the NBA because of the virus is limiting workouts to one player with one coach and no scrimmaging. Commissioner Adam Silver estimated, this week on a CNN broadcast with Bob Costas, the next season probably won't begin until into 2021. So it will be another red light and a long time until the greening of the Bulls begins again. But there does seem to be that proverbial light.

"It's going to be a player first program where we're going to try to do right by the players in terms of trying to put them in the best position to continue to grow and develop and be successful," Donovan said. "That's the number one thing for me and then strategizing our style of play, how we need to play, how we need to utilize everybody. Hopefully we can try to create chemistry, create a bond where they're playing for each other, they're being accountable for each other and trying to help each other and trying to evolve and work to become a better team and a consistent team.

Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr, and Coby White

"I've always felt it's important with players to let me hear from them how do they want to be used," Donovan said. "How do they feel like they're most effective? What are things they feel most comfortable doing? How can you take advantage of their skill set and their offense? Then you build out from there of how you want to play. You partner with them and you work with them and you build out something where there's going to be a level of sacrifice by every player. Every player is not going to have the chance to do everything that they want to do. But how do you mesh all of those guys together to get the whole to be better than the sum of the parts as a team?"

Retiring New Yorkers like to joke Florida is God's waiting room. It became the caring nursery for Billy Donovan as he carried that nurturing to the NBA.

"I think anybody that's part of a team wants to have that connection that they've done their job and that their work is valued and it's important," Donovan explained. "So although you're having different personalities, different styles of play, different guys having different games, they're still human beings and they still want to be in a situation where they're loved, cared about and they're accepted for who they are. I think it starts from that place of getting the group really feeling comfortable playing with each other, helping each other, making each other better and accountable to be the best version of themselves.

"The plan," Donovan said, "would be how do we create a culture and an environment and a situation where that culture and environment is sustainable over a long period of time? You want to have standards you want to live up to and I think when you're not meeting those standards, then you're not really working towards building what you want to build. It's an everyday process, an everyday grind to be able to do that. It's every day as coaches, as players, as front office, all working together to make each other better."

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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan drawn to partnership with Karnisovas in building a winning team

The Chicago Bulls announced the hiring of Billy Donovan on Tuesday afternoon. In Donovan, the Bulls are getting an experienced NBA coach with a track record of success, a player relationship-building mindset, and diligent work ethic.

It was the summer of 2017 and Doug McDermott, following the February trade with Taj Gibson to the Oklahoma City Thunder, was trying to get a head start on the next season. So he stayed in Oklahoma City that summer with a few teammates, Domantas Sabonis, Jerami Grant and Alex Abrinas. Billy Donovan called. Why don't you guys come over for a meal.

"He's a really good relationship guy," McDermott was saying about Donovan by phone Tuesday. "He's not a guy who isn't going to talk to you; he's a great communicator. Obviously, for me, he knew my dad a little bit from college coaching. So we always talked college hoops. But the guys loved him. Never got too high or too low. Always very even keel with us and as a person, he was awesome. I remember him inviting us to his house with his wife, me, Sabonis, Jerami and Abrinas. They cooked and we talked everything but basketball.

"He was really welcoming," McDermott said. "That's part of the college in him. He wants to have a good relationship with his guys; he does a good job of doing that. And guys go hard for him. His teams won and were good. I can't say enough good things about him. I'm glad he's staying in NBA, but I'm not glad he's in our division."

Donovan, 55, takes over as Bulls head coach with a longtime record of success and as a protege and disciple of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino. It was for Pitino at Providence College with his long shooting and aggressive trapping defensive style the relatively unathletic, undersized so called "gym rat" who became known as "Billy the Kid" for his daring shooting helped Providence overachieve to the Final Four in 1987. Which also led to Pitino's emergence in pro coaching.

The six foot Donovan played briefly in the CBA, the forerunner of the G-league, and then joined Pitino with the New York Knicks as a little used guard for a half season. With little basketball playing future, Donovan took an unfulfilling stock broker job on Wall Street before returning to Pitino's congregation as an assistant coach at the U. of Kentucky and another Final Four run. Donovan then left the nest to turn around the Marshall U. program and then went to the U. of Florida, where he won two NCAA championships led by former Bull Joakim Noah in a 19-year run that included a brief flirtation with the Orlando Magic in 2007.

Donovan finally left Florida in 2015 to coach a talent rich Thunder team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. They had a 10-game improvement to 55 wins and were ahead 3-1 in the conference finals when they lost three straight to Golden State. The Warriors went on to lose to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, prompting the recruitment of Durant to Golden State.

The Thunder then recovered around Westbrook, a pattern for Donovan teams, and Westbrook became the league MVP with the first triple double season since Oscar Robertson.

Though Donovan was heavily influenced by Pitino with his three point shooting emphasis and defensive pressuring style of play that alienated his Boston Celtics team, Donovan's NBA teams were not generally known for either three-point shooting or pressure defense.

Donovan appears to be a coach who adapts primarily to his talent.

The Thunder generally were top 10 in the NBA in defense, though 20th his first season in Oklahoma City. They've generally been in the bottom half of the league in three-point attempts as Donovan's best players, Durant, Westbrook and last season Chris Paul, had more sophisticated mid range games. Their offensive efficiency has ranked between 11th and 27th in his five seasons.

"He adjusts really well," agreed McDermott. "One thing about Billy D I really liked is he's not afraid to try new things. You can tell he really leaned on his staff a lot. He's not a micromanager; he's a guy who listens to his staff and is willing to be open to new ideas. I remember we had an assistant on the staff who coached in Europe and he got a lot from him. He's a guy who works with what he has. So it's hard to put a style on him. He demands a lot from you defensively; that's for sure. But he's very creative on offense.

Coach Donovan watches OKC's practice in the Orlando bubble.

"He's really good at ATOs late game (after time out), getting guys threes," McDermott added. "Some of his ATOs, I was like, ‘This guy is incredible.' I remember I loved playing for him because he always had something for shooters. He draws up his plays without markers; he has these magnets. It took some time to learn, but I really liked it and missed it when I left because you always knew where you were at and supposed to be."

Donovan has a record of charitable giving, once donating $1 million to Providence for basketball courts while his wife, Christine, was active with the wives of other players in community activities. They have four grown children.

Donovan has been known as a student of the game, seeking advice from top coaches in other sports like Bill Belichick and Tony LaRussa.

"I met him when I was with the Cardinals," said La Russa from a baseball game in San Diego. "I went over to watch his practices a couple of times. I wanted to meet him because I had some friends in college basketball who were really high on him. One of the neat things is when you're around awhile as a coach you kind of share experiences, priorities, notes. Over the years we stayed in touch. With Billy he was well thought of and when his teams played you could see how they did it. You watch Bill's teams and they reflect him. Billy did a heck of a job at Oklahoma City. I don't know a lot about pro basketball, but the guys I knew were very complimentary. People I respect give him high marks."

"He's a hard worker, a serious basketball guy," added one NBA coach who asked not to be named. "He's someone who looks at what he has and sees what he can do. Like this season, Chris Paul had one of his best seasons ever. He's a lot like (Celtics coach) Brad Stevens, measured, good with the players, not one of those know-it-alls. He's a modern NBA coach who knows how to circumvent the landmines,"

"There's nobody I've ever been around who's worked harder," said McDermott. "And I played for Thibs. Billy D's there at freakin' 5:30 am. He's there 'til late. He's a hoops guy, all hoops."

The Thunder, last season, were viewed as overachievers after trading Paul George to the Clippers and Russell Westbrook to Houston as they tied for fourth with Houston. They were eliminated from the playoffs by a last missed shot in Game 7. It was the franchise's fourth consecutive first round ouster. Donovan was rumored to have rejected a two-year Thunder extension, though it seems the Thunder are on the verge of a rebuilding project with all the draft picks from the trades.

Donovan's Thunder teams have been an eclectic mix of talent with some of the best in the league, which sometimes has been held against Donovan. The Thunder had a player in the top five in MVP voting in each of Donovan's first four seasons and two in his first season. This season, Paul finished seventh. But at the same time, Donovan also appeared to be adept at putting those players in a position to succeed and do their best. After losing Durant, one of the best players in the NBA and third in the league in scoring, Donovan altered the offense around Westbrook, who won MVP as the Thunder won 47 games.

Donovan's Oklahoma City teams were 243-157, a 61 percent winning percentage and 11th all-time among coaches with at least five years experience. His teams were 15-21 in the playoffs.

But with Westbrook and George departing and the Thunder seeming to be in a reboot, Oklahoma City was one of the big surprise teams of the 2019-20 season. After a 6-11 start, the Thunder finished 38-17 before the playoffs in Orlando. Only the Bucks and Raptors had more wins in a similar stretch. The Thunder also led the league in so called clutch time wins in games decided in the last five minutes as Donovan's lineup alchemy produced guard gold with Paul, Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Donovan finished third in the media Coach of the Year voting. He was tied for first with Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer in the Coaches' Association Coach of the Year voting. He was SEC Coach of the Year three times.

Thunder chief executive Sam Presti said of Donovan's departure: "Sometimes the arc of things just don't align. It's no one's fault."

Now perhaps he gets to exert his identity on a Bulls team without an All-Star or MVP candidate, but which appears to have unexplored talent.

Billy Donovan coaching former Bull Joakim Noah at the University of Florida

"Incredible coach, super smart," said McDermott. "You can tell why all his Florida guys loved playing for him. I remember Joakim always telling me ‘That's my guy, I love that dude.' And then playing for him in Oklahoma City I saw that. He's a really good, high character guy, really good communicator with the players. Nobody I've been around works harder. I think that's the reason he was so successful at the college level. You see what happened this year with the Thunder. He can really coach."

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New Bulls head coach Billy Donovan brings experience and relationship-building mindset to Chicago

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