Bianchi actually has something nice to say about Billy...

[MJMGator]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/o ... 108.column

I don't usually read this tool, but it was probably one of his better stories.

[WhoGator]

Usually writes just for controversy, regardless of whether he believes it or not. Good stuff though in this column, my favorite...

It is why I believe Donovan is the greatest college coach – football or basketball – in this state's history.

Nice words, considering the competition includes the all-time winningest coach in D1 football history.

Also

"NBA coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account; coaching in college is about building your legacy. If you stay in college basketball long enough, you become a legend. If you stay in the NBA long enough, you become a retread."

Is Billy the greatest coach in UF history?

[jagator0]

I can't disagree with any of it. Except maybe that it's not all that hard to win a football national title in Florida now that Nick Satan wins them all.

[jagator0]

Usually writes just for controversy, regardless of whether he believes it or not. Good stuff though in this column, my favorite...

It is why I believe Donovan is the greatest college coach – football or basketball – in this state's history.

Nice words, considering the competition includes the all-time winningest coach in D1 football history.

Also

"NBA coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account; coaching in college is about building your legacy. If you stay in college basketball long enough, you become a legend. If you stay in the NBA long enough, you become a retread."

Is Billy the greatest coach in UF history?

Yes. And when he wins the tournament this year it won't even be a debate.

[law98gator]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

[MJMGator]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

I guess because I was astonished that he actually wrote a flattering article about our own Billy D. I know you like to dwell on the negative, so you should just skip on by this one, Law.

[law98gator]

You can bet I don't click on one of Bizatchi's link.

[SC Gator]

We are two stupid meltdowns in last two min of the last two elite eight games which would have made Billy the best College Coach in America (along with Coach K) hands down. That would have made it 5 final fours and 2 (with a possibility of 3) NC's. I think he needs another Final Four and a Championship with a different team to be cemented in Coach K territory.

Clearly for UF, he is up there with Spurrier. The court will have to be named after him one day I suppose. He is still young for a coach so anything could happen including him leaving.

[g8trs99]

I thought the article was spot on.

[mtn2top]

Unlike Bianchi, many of us here have recognized Coach Donovan's ability and talent since his early seasons. His subsequent successes, two NCs and this year's team only confirms what we've known all along.

It's easy to jump on the BD bandwagon with the success of this year's dominating Gator hoops team. I've marveled for years at his ability to be competitive with teams of much less talent. It's absurd that BD has never been SEC COY. This could be the year, no matter how late and obvious the award may be.

One characteristic of sports writers is to give praise and due only when its blatantly obvious and more than deserved. They sell more papers and clicks with criticism and condemnation.

[Slevin]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

This. copy and paste that asshats articles here. Don't link to his articles. We don't need to give him undeserved traffic.

[rogdochar]

"NBA coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account;..........................
..coaching in college is about building your legacy."

And with Donovan about building each of his player's personal legacy.

[BSJGator]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

This. copy and paste that asshats articles here. Don't link to his articles. We don't need to give him undeserved traffic.

Three greatest professional moves in history:

1. Cher dumps Sonny and becomes a solo star.

2. Frank Sinatra makes "From Here to Eternity" and resurrects his career.

3. Billy Donovan reneges on the Orlando Magic and immortalizes his.

Hate to say I told you so, Magic fans, but I said it then and I'll reiterate it now:

The best move Donovan ever made was to inexplicably change his mind six years ago, back out of the Magic job after one day and return to the University of Florida.

As I wrote back then: "NBA coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account; coaching in college is about building your legacy. If you stay in college basketball long enough, you become a legend. If you stay in the NBA long enough, you become a retread."

And, so, I present to you Billy Donovan, who on Saturday won his 400th game at UF to go with two national championships, three Final Fours, two consecutive Elite 8 appearances, umpteen NCAA Tournament appearances and a team that this year appears to be an NCAA title contender once again.

He's gone from Billy the Kid to Billy the Legend.

He's gone from Billy Basketball to Billy Icon.

He's become a mythic figure at UF.

If he'd not backed out on the Magic, he'd be just another fired NBA coach.

"Obviously that was a difficult conversation to have with the Magic during that time," Donovan recalled earlier this week. "It was just something in my heart and something I couldn't put my finger on. I just felt like it was the right thing to do – not only for myself but for the Magic. For whatever reason, it just was not comfortable or right for me. … I'm excited that I've been able to be at Florida for as long as I have."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who believes Donovan would have been just another college coach who flopped in the NBA (see Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Lon Kruger, etc.) He's a great enough coach and has the mental makeup to succeed on the pro level, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have been fired. Stan Van Gundy got fired, and he's one of the elite coaches in the NBA.

Bum Phillips may have been talking about the NFL but he could have easily been referring to the NBA when he famously said, "There are two kinds of coaches; them that are fired and them that are gonna be fired."

Translation: In Gainesville, Billy is the Gators' version of John Wooden.

In Orlando, he'd be the Magic's version of John Lucas.

In Gainesville, his boss, athletic director Jeremy Foley, would love to give him a lifetime contract.

In Orlando, his boss, Dwight Howard, would have probably canned him years ago.

Can you believe it? Donovan, still only 47 years old, has become a living legend and one of college basketball's all-time greats right before our very eyes. Already, he's third in SEC history in career victories behind Adolph Rupp and Dale Brown. Only two other coaches in major college history -- Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight -- ever won two national titles at a younger age than Donovan. If Donovan wins one more national title, he'll have as many as Knight. If he wins two more, he ties Krzyzewski and Rupp and trails only Wooden.

He is the only coach in the business who has consistently and perennially made the basketball program more successful at a football school than the football program. All of the other great coaches out there – Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, etc. – have never been asked to win national titles at a football school. It is why I believe Donovan is the greatest college coach – football or basketball – in this state's history.

Let's be honest, it's not all that difficult to win a football national title in the State of Florida. Seven coaches have done it, including the relatively pedestrian Dennis Erickson, who won two of them. Donovan, though, is the only coach in state history who's won a basketball national title – and he's won two of them and played for another.

And guess what? He has the team this year that might just compete for it again. The Gators aren't just beating opponents; they are bludgeoning them. Donovan got his 400th with Saturday's 83-52 dismantling of No. 17 Missouri. The Gators' four SEC wins have come by an average margin of 26.8 points. Florida destroyed Big Ten power Wisconsin 74-56, Big East power Marquette 82-49 and defending ACC champion Florida State 72-47.

Meanwhile, Van Gundy, the best coach in Orlando franchise history, has been fired, and the Magic have lost 13 of their last 15 heading into Tuesday night's game.

Billy Legend has shown us that sometimes the best career moves are the ones we never make.

mbianchi@tribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM.

Happy now?

[ShowMeLove]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

This. copy and paste that asshats articles here. Don't link to his articles. We don't need to give him undeserved traffic.

Three greatest professional moves in history:

1. Cher dumps Sonny and becomes a solo star.

2. Frank Sinatra makes "From Here to Eternity" and resurrects his career.

3. Billy Donovan reneges on the Orlando Magic and immortalizes his.

Hate to say I told you so, Magic fans, but I said it then and I'll reiterate it now:

The best move Donovan ever made was to inexplicably change his mind six years ago, back out of the Magic job after one day and return to the University of Florida.

As I wrote back then: "NBA coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account; coaching in college is about building your legacy. If you stay in college basketball long enough, you become a legend. If you stay in the NBA long enough, you become a retread."

And, so, I present to you Billy Donovan, who on Saturday won his 400th game at UF to go with two national championships, three Final Fours, two consecutive Elite 8 appearances, umpteen NCAA Tournament appearances and a team that this year appears to be an NCAA title contender once again.

He's gone from Billy the Kid to Billy the Legend.

He's gone from Billy Basketball to Billy Icon.

He's become a mythic figure at UF.

If he'd not backed out on the Magic, he'd be just another fired NBA coach.

"Obviously that was a difficult conversation to have with the Magic during that time," Donovan recalled earlier this week. "It was just something in my heart and something I couldn't put my finger on. I just felt like it was the right thing to do – not only for myself but for the Magic. For whatever reason, it just was not comfortable or right for me. … I'm excited that I've been able to be at Florida for as long as I have."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who believes Donovan would have been just another college coach who flopped in the NBA (see Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Lon Kruger, etc.) He's a great enough coach and has the mental makeup to succeed on the pro level, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have been fired. Stan Van Gundy got fired, and he's one of the elite coaches in the NBA.

Bum Phillips may have been talking about the NFL but he could have easily been referring to the NBA when he famously said, "There are two kinds of coaches; them that are fired and them that are gonna be fired."

Translation: In Gainesville, Billy is the Gators' version of John Wooden.

In Orlando, he'd be the Magic's version of John Lucas.

In Gainesville, his boss, athletic director Jeremy Foley, would love to give him a lifetime contract.

In Orlando, his boss, Dwight Howard, would have probably canned him years ago.

Can you believe it? Donovan, still only 47 years old, has become a living legend and one of college basketball's all-time greats right before our very eyes. Already, he's third in SEC history in career victories behind Adolph Rupp and Dale Brown. Only two other coaches in major college history -- Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight -- ever won two national titles at a younger age than Donovan. If Donovan wins one more national title, he'll have as many as Knight. If he wins two more, he ties Krzyzewski and Rupp and trails only Wooden.

He is the only coach in the business who has consistently and perennially made the basketball program more successful at a football school than the football program. All of the other great coaches out there – Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, etc. – have never been asked to win national titles at a football school. It is why I believe Donovan is the greatest college coach – football or basketball – in this state's history.

Let's be honest, it's not all that difficult to win a football national title in the State of Florida. Seven coaches have done it, including the relatively pedestrian Dennis Erickson, who won two of them. Donovan, though, is the only coach in state history who's won a basketball national title – and he's won two of them and played for another.

And guess what? He has the team this year that might just compete for it again. The Gators aren't just beating opponents; they are bludgeoning them. Donovan got his 400th with Saturday's 83-52 dismantling of No. 17 Missouri. The Gators' four SEC wins have come by an average margin of 26.8 points. Florida destroyed Big Ten power Wisconsin 74-56, Big East power Marquette 82-49 and defending ACC champion Florida State 72-47.

Meanwhile, Van Gundy, the best coach in Orlando franchise history, has been fired, and the Magic have lost 13 of their last 15 heading into Tuesday night's game.

Billy Legend has shown us that sometimes the best career moves are the ones we never make.

mbianchi@tribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM.

Happy now?

By posting the entire article, you have violated the terms of the GSMB. You are hereby:

[ShowMeLove]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

Why would you click on this thread and drive up the hit count? That brings more attention to the link and makes more money for that POS.

[Mikhail]

You can bet I don't click on one of Bizatchi's link.

Then what the hell you doing in this post, you TROLL!

[Swamp82]

Why do you jackazzes post links to Bizatchi? Why would you ever want to drive up his hit count and make money for that POS?

I have to agree with law, don't even click on his links he is a POS without a doubt.

[law98gator]

You can bet I don't click on one of Bizatchi's link.

Then what the hell you doing in this post, you TROLL!

WTF are you?

Forget it. I just realized I don't give a shiit.

[MJMGator]

Sorry to start a family feud, guys. I'll know better than to post a link to this guy next time.

[law98gator]

FWIW, we still love you, MJM... not as much as Spook, but we love you nevertheless.