The Melo Backpedal

Today’s we’ll discuss the huge breaking news of Florida’s Billy Donovan leaving to coach the Orlando Magic, two other NBA head coaching vacancies being filled, and the latest in the Cavs/ Pistons series.

*—–According to the Associated Press, University of Florida men’s head basketball coach Bill Donovan has accepted the head coaching vacancy with the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Although many sources say the deal is reportedly $36 million over six years, the AP is reporting the deal is worth $27-$28 million over a five year period.

After leading the University of Florida Gators to the last two national championships, the 42-year-old Donovan received a big-money offer from the Magic earlier this week. Team officials told the Orlando Sentinel, which first reported the story on its Web site, that Donovan was expected to accept the job earlier this afternoon.

Sources are claiming the Magic job has been the toughest decision he’s had to make, much more so than any early offer from the Memphis Grizzlies and even more so than the University of Kentucky’s contract offer. Orlando is close enough to his Gainsville home that could it make it a smooth transition. Donovan’s parents, in-laws and sister all have a home in Gainsville and the sources said that if there was a job that he would seriously consider it would be this one because of the proximity to his family.

Donovan’s mentor, Rick Pitino, found himself in very similar situation ten years ago when he was coaching the University of Kentucky. Pitino left behind one of the best basketball programs in the country to accept the head coaching position with the Boston Celtics. However, after having the leagues worst record and losing out on getting Tim Duncan in the 1997 NBA Lottery, things all went down hill from there. Pitino wasn’t able to make them into a winner, and eventually resigned to head back to the college game, where he now resides.

Donovan, however, is heading into a completely different situation. He’s taking over a playoff team with one of the best young core units in the league. While Pitino missed out on landing Tim Duncan, Donovan will have one of the best young big men in the league in Dwight Howard. He’s only an hour or so away from his home and family in Gainsville, and knows the players going from college to the pro game perhaps better than anyone.

Had he stayed, he could have a similar legacy as Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Jim Calhoun, all successful college coaches who are now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He also had one of the most exciting and talented recruiting classes coming in this fall. Instead, he’s leaving all that behind to pursue a new challenge with higher stakes. He’s going to be getting paid a lot more money than had he stayed at Florida, and the chance to coach one of the best young teams in the league.

This has to be a win-win situation for him. He gets to try his hand at the pros, while collecting a huge paycheck, and even if he fails, the college game will be waiting for him with open arms. There will be plenty of time later to coach collegiate ball. It think he’ll be a success in Orlando because he’s a players coach and having played briefly in the NBA, he knows what the lifestyle is like and won’t get a rude awakening once he gets there.

Florida needs to act quickly and possibly stay within the family by hiring former Florida assistant Anthony Grant, who led VCU to the NCAA Tournament second round in his first season with the Rams. VCU beat Duke in the first round, and Grant would be a fantastic successor to Donovan.

*—– The Indiana Pacers are scheduled to announce Jim O’Brien as their new head coach and the Memphis Grizzlies will do the same for their new head coach Marc Iavaroni. O’Brien was most recently working for ESPN, prior to which he served as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. He’s also the son-in-law for legendary Portland Trailblazers coach Dr. Jack Ramsey. Iavaroni has been Mike D’Antoni’s lead assistant in Phoenix for the past three years, and has been an assistant and player for 17 season’s altogether.

*—–Now that the Cavs / Pistons series has turned back to Detroit, who’s everybody liking tonight? It looks like Larry Hughes is returning for Cleveland, in case that means anything.

Here’s five keys to tonight’s game for the Pistons:

1st quarter counts: The Pistons have trailed at halftime in each game, and they’ve failed to set the tone.

Balanced attack: The Pistons’ offense needs everyone to hit his shots. Make the Cavs pay when they decide not to double-team.