Few names resonate and cause intrigue in basketball coaching like Billy Donovan’s.
Now that he’s a coaching free agent, let’s assess the situation at both the NBA and college levels, because if Donovan doesn’t make a move in the next few weeks, he’ll have the leverage to shape next year’s carousel as well.
The two-time national champion was among the few highly coveted targets for UNC’s job opening in late March and early April, but he never personally engaged in the process while the Chicago Bulls were still playing.
North Carolina ultimately pivoted to another coach with NBA ties in Michael Malone, but Donovan’s willingness to at least keep the door cracked, even informally, marked a notable shift from how he has handled college overtures in the past. Now, with Donovan stepping down from his post as Bulls coach, the 60-year-old immediately becomes one of the most desirable names on the coaching market — NBA or college.
Multiple NBA openings are expected to materialize in the coming weeks, and Donovan — a proven program-builder with both NBA and championship-level college experience — is likely to be linked to several of them, sources told CBS Sports. As one of them put it: “The guy wants to coach. He’s going to be a head coach again.”
That desire, paired with his Hall-of-Fame résumé, gives Donovan leverage, regardless of the jobs that come open and which organizations and universities come calling. If he prioritizes the NBA, he’ll have options and likely at least one in this year’s cycle. Perhaps even splashy ones like Golden State, should Steve Kerr opt to step down there just as Donovan has in the Windy City.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date,” Kerr said after Golden State’s season ended in the play-in game.
If Donovan pauses or waits out this cycle and chooses to not coach for 2026-27, the expectation will be for him to return, somewhere, in 2027. If we get to that point, things would get very interesting in college basketball at a number of schools.
At Kentucky, Mark Pope has come under fire from the most invested fan base in college hoops. He’ll enter next season under significant pressure despite a respectable two-year start that includes 46 wins, a No. 3 and No. 7 seed, and three NCAA Tournament victories. A looming change at athletic director only adds uncertainty to his long-term standing in Lexington.
At Kansas, there is growing industry curiosity about how much longer Bill Self intends to coach, with some around the sport wondering if the 2026-27 season could be his last. Self publicly acknowledged the possibility of retiring after Kansas’ season ended against St. John’s in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but announced his return earlier this month. Will next season be it for one of the best college coaches ever?
Then there’s the spot Donovan knows best: Florida. He won two national titles and made four Final Fours, good enough to get his own name on the court. Thanks to Thomas Haugh’s return, Todd Golden has the preseason No. 1 team going into next season. If Florida can again be among the nation’s best, Golden’s options for a bigger job — potentially at the NBA level, where his buyout is much more manageable — could materialize in the spring of 2026. If that were to happen and Donovan was waiting on his next job opportunity come next March … who knows?
Bottom line: Donovan leaving Chicago will have ripple effects and spark speculation at both the NBA and college levels, and that speculation won’t stop until he makes a decision on where and when he chooses to coach next.
