Billy Donovan leaves Florida--a mistake?

So it looks like Billy Donovan's tenure at the University of Florida has come to end. Donovan accepted a 5-year deal worth $27.5 million to join the Orlando Magic as their head coach. Donovan is the latest in a line of successful college basketball coaches to move up to the pro ranks. Here are two names that come to mind when I think of this move: Tim Floyd and Lon Kruger. Where are those guys, you might ask. Tim Floyd had a great year as USC's head coach and Lon Kruger has been a big part of UNLV's turnaround as their head man. Two guys who were successful and felt the need to be challenged by the NBA. Mike Montgomery felt the need to move from Stanford to Golden State only to be fired. Rick Pitino is having success at Louisville after an unsuccessful stint in Boston. The list goes on. Sometimes guys learn and don't go back. Lou Holtz is an example that comes to mind as is Steve Spurrier. The track record of these coaches doesn't bode well for Billy the Kid at the pro ranks.

There is, however, a difference. Tim Floyd took a job with the Bulls when they were in serious decline. The big names had already come and gone and the Bulls were certainly in disrepair and were for quite a while after he left. Lon Kruger became the head coach of a team that had already hit rock bottom and continues to dig to this day. Maybe the GMs and owners thought they'd bring in a college coach to bring along the young talent. However, young pros are not the same as young student athletes. Instead of a 20-year old junior you have a 20-year old multimillionaire. Owners are going to side with the investment--coaches are a dime a dozen, but the next Kobe (which there seem to be plenty of) is priceless.

So Donovan comes in with a good foundation and an Orlando Magic team that made the playoffs last year. Dwight Howard looks like a budding all star and I believe this team is going in the right direction. So during his press conference today, when Donovan said, "...the next step would be to do something that would really challenge me as a person and coach and help me me grow and get better." Translation: if this was the Celtics or Bobcats you can bet your ass I wouldn't going unless I wanted to get fired in two years.