Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Scott Stricklin and Jeremy Foley sat across from their dinner guest at a downtown Oklahoma City steakhouse and sensed it was time to come clean. Stricklin, the University of Florida athletic director, and Foley, his predecessor, had told Billy Donovan they'd flown to town to take a tour of facilities on the campuses of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and figured they'd get together. 

Not true. 

Citing the University Athletic Association's vision statement— "A championship experience with integrity" — Foley admitted to Donovan and his wife, Christine, that the reason behind the trip and dinner invite was a ruse. He and Stricklin, instead, were there to deliver some news. 

"We're putting your name on the O'Dome floor," Foley told the future Hall-of-Famer and winningest coach in program history. "The university wants to do this for you." 

That was Oct. 9 and it all became official Friday when the UF Board of Trustees unanimously passed the motion during its fall meeting. On Feb. 15, when the Gators welcome Vanderbilt for a Saturday night showdown, the floor at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center will be christened and forever known as "Billy Donovan Court." The date coincides with the NBA's All-Star weekend, meaning Donovan, now coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with family and friends, plus a slew of former players, coaches and support members will be invited back to take part in the festivities. 

Memo to fans: Better get your tickets now. 

"I was totally shocked," Donovan said of the moment both Stricklin and Foley, who hired Donovan in 1996, delivered the news. "It was really emotional. I mean, I didn't anticipate this. I've been gone five years, so I couldn't believe those guys flew all the way out here for that. I'm thankful, I'm honored and just incredibly humbled by it all." 

He shouldn't be. All Donovan did during his 19 seasons at Florida (1996-2015) was compile a record of 467-186, with six Southeastern Conference regular-season championships, four league tournament titles, 14 NCAA Tournaments appearances, four Final Fours and became one of just three coaches in the last half-century — along with John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski — to win back-to-back national championships.  There's a "Coach K Court" at Duke, a "Roy Williams Court" at North Carolina, a "Jim Boeheim Court" at Syracuse, and "The Summitt" at Tennessee for the late and legendary women's coach Pat Summit. 

"Billy Donovan Court" at Florida makes all the sense in the orange-and-blue world. 

"It's a given," said UF coach Mike White, who replaced Donovan upon his exit in the spring of 2015. "To me, the way people revere him as a human being in this profession says as much about him as the games and championships he won. This is something that definitely needed to happen." 

It has been in the works for some time. 

Foley retired after a decorated 25-year stint as athletic director in the fall of 2016. A case can be made that Donovan, just 30 years old at the time, was Foley's greatest hire, given what Florida basketball was and what it became under the watch of the wide-eyed workaholic who, in time, took the league and nation by storm. 



Stricklin, by way of Mississippi State, was hired in September of '16. During his transition into the post, Foley made it a priority to encourage Stricklin to continue the groundwork laid with UF President Kent Fuchs to get Donovan's name on the court. Stricklin, who before his eight years as a Mississippi State administrator had spent five years at Kentucky leading the Wildcats' basketball communications operations, needed no convincing. 

"It had been on my radar for some time, and Jeremy made it clear it was something that was important to him," Stricklin said. "During my time at Kentucky, I had a front-row seat for the impact Billy made, not just on the Florida program, but our league. You saw the kind of coach and person he was, and the respect he had around the country. This was just an obvious way to honor him." 
 

Obvious, apparently, to everyone but Donovan, now 54. The fact he was surprised — "Blown away," was how Foley described the initial reaction — speaks to his humility.

"Doing this may be honoring me, but without the coaches and all the people that came through there … ," Donovan said, his remarks momentarily trailing off. 

He proceeded to reel off the names of coaches, a bunch of them (from John Pelphrey to Anthony Grant to Donnie Jones to Larry Shyatt to Matt McCall), then support staffers (from trainer Dave Werner to strength and conditioning coordinator Preston Greene to executive assistant Tracy Pfaff). 

Foley's name was saved for last. 

"He was in place the whole time I was there," Donovan said. "He and I shared an incredible vision together and have always been on the same page. Our relationship grew from him being the AD for just a few years, hiring me at such a young age and with only a few years of experience as a head coach. That was a big hire — he took a chance on me — and I wanted to do well for him." 

So, how'd it turn out? 

"What Billy accomplished here no one ever could have anticipated," Foley said. "There's probably a whole generation that thinks Florida basketball has always been on the map. Is that true? The answer to that question is 'no.' Pockets of success, yes, but then he came here and built a program that is recognized as a national brand. He did it with an outstanding group of assistant coaches and an incredible support staff, but at the end of the day, Billy Donovan created something very special here."

Because of it, his name forever will be etched in UF basketball lore. 

And on the floor. 

Note: *Student-athletes and staff from the Donovan era (1996-2015) who wish to receive information about activities over the Feb. 15 weekend can submit their contact information.*