Donovan Adds Matt McCall to Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
Monday, April 25, 2011 | Men's Basketball
University of Florida men's basketball head coach Billy Donovan announced the hiring of Matt McCall on Monday, filling the third and final vacancy on his coaching staff.
McCall returns to the Gators after being involved with the men's basketball program while earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Florida. He comes back to UF after three seasons as an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic where he has served under Mike Jarvis.
"Matt is someone that worked for our program for seven years, he knows the University of Florida and he knows me,” Donovan said. “I felt, in losing three assistant coaches, that it was really important to have a level of familiarity on my staff.
“He is a hard worker, he was a part of us winning two national championships here and he helped FAU win its league title this year. He has great ties in the state of Florida, will be a great fit to our staff and I'm thrilled to have Matt come back to the University of Florida."
In each of the Ocala native's three seasons at FAU, the Owls improved dramatically. After a 6-26 record in 2009, FAU jumped to a 14-16 mark in 2009-10, but posted a 10-8 finish in the Sun Belt Conference. Finally, in 2010-11, the Owls posted the school's highest win total at the Division I level, finishing with a 21-11 mark, a Sun Belt championship and an appearance in the NIT, which marked just the second postseason berth in program history. FAU posted a mid-season eight-game win streak, which is a school-best since competing in Division I.
While with the Owls, McCall developed a reputation as an energetic recruiter, helping the Owls bring in several recruits, including Greg Gantt and Dennis Mavin from the Gainesville area. Gantt was among conference and national scoring leaders and three-point shooters as he helped the Owls make the jump from six to 14 wins in 2009-10. In addition to his recruiting prowess, McCall focused on the backcourt and in-game adjustments, as well as helping coordinate coaches' and players' camps throughout the year.
McCall originally joined the UF program as a student manager in the 2001-02 season and became the head manager the following year. After earning his degree in exercise and sports science in 2004, McCall continued with the program while earning his master's in secondary education in May 2006, McCall accepted a position as Florida's director of basketball operations, which he held for two seasons from 2006-08, including UF's second national title run in the 2006-07 season.
In total, the Gators earned two national championships, three straight SEC Tournament titles and an SEC championship during McCall's first stint with the program.
In his hometown of Ocala, McCall has established The McCall Basketball Academy for area youth. In addition, The Basketball Times has featured McCall as one of the nation's up-and-coming young coaches.
McCall is the son of Beth and Wayne McCall. Wayne, a prominent Ocala attorney, was a linebacker and three-year letterwinner on the Gator football team from 1965-67.
