HOME CALENDAR HISTORY GATOR DAY GOLF UF SPORTS PHOTOS LINKS CONTACT MEMBERSHIP FYI BUY/SELL
TICKETS

Gator Gathering with Head Basketball Coach....

Billy Donovan

Thursday-August 30, 2007
Dress:  Business casual-Country Club casual-no jeans please

The Daytona Beach Hilton-Oceanfront
 Click here for the Hilton's Web Site
Parking-north parking lot-discounted valet service for all

$15.00/person (UF Alumni Members)
$20.00/person (Non Members)
$5.00-children (under 12)
(Tickets will not be necessary---names will be at Registration desk)

5:00 - 6:30 pm Registration/Happy hour (Cash Bar & Hors D'oeuvres)

6:30 - 7:00 pm        Program
Club information/announcements from Club President-Jim Tobin...
UF President, Bernie Machen will be here to present a special award
to a deserving Volusia Gator.

7:00 - 7:45 pm        Coach Donovan

Special information:
Coach Donovan will only autograph for 1 hour or the first 250 Gators!
Time TBA.  No photos will be allowed with Coach behind the autograph table.
One item per person

RSVP:
Rob Horner
Make checks payable to:
Gator ClubŪ of Volusia County
Mail to:  6076 Sable Hammock Circle
Port Orange, Fl  32128
(Tickets will not be necessary---names will be at Registration desk)

Rob's email:  daytona-gator@worldnet.att.net
cell phone:  386-547-4799

SPONSORSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE CONTACT ROB HORNER FOR MORE INFO!

Sponsors
Crotty, Bartlett & Kelly PA

Coach Donovan's Bio

 

10 seasons at UF
Providence '87

  • Career record - 296-123 (.706)

  • Record at UF: 261-103 (.717)

  • National Titles: 2 (2006, 2007)

  • SEC Titles: 3

  • SEC East Titles: 4

  • SEC Tournament Titles: 3

  • Final Fours: 5 (1 as a player, 1 as an assistant, 3 as head coach at Florida)

  • National Title Game Appearances: 3 (2000, 2006, 2007)

The Short Story...
  • Donovan guided the Gators to the school's first national championship in 2006, as the Gators ran the table in the NCAA Tournament, defeating opponents by an average of 16.0 points per game and becoming the first team since UCLA in 1968 to win both the national semifinal and final by 15+ points.
  • Has guided the Gators to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and eight straight 20-win seasons. The University of Florida had only five 20-win seasons and five NCAA Tournament appearances in the 77 years prior to Donovan's arrival. UF won a school record 33 games in 2005-06 en route to the national title.
  • Donovan guided the Gators to their first appearance in the National Championship game in 2000, taking the Gators to the Final Four. En route to the Championship game, the Gators became the first program to defeat both Duke and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Donovan guided the Gators to the school's first SEC Tournament title in 2005, and followed it with a victory over South Carolina in the 2006 title game. UF has been to three straight SEC Tournament Championship games.
  • Donovan has won 16 NCAA Tournament games, more than double the combined NCAA Tournament totals of all other former UF coaches.
  • He is one of only two people ever to serve as head coach in a Final Four, as an assistant coach in a Final Four and reach the Final Four as a player. Furthermore, he is one of only five coaches to have reached the Final Four both as a head coach and as a player.
  • His teams have averaged 24.9 wins per season over the last eight years and 22.6 during his tenure overall. Florida won just 12 games the season before his arrival and averaged 11.5 per year in the 77 years prior to his arrival.
  • He has guided the Gators to two overall SEC titles after winning only one in 77 years prior to his arrival, while leading Florida to three SEC East crowns.
  • 18 of the 20 seniors to play for Donovan have gone on to graduate.
  • Four players have gone on to become first round picks in the NBA Draft, including one NBA Rookie of the Year.
  • He has signed nine McDonald's All-Americans.
  • Played college ball for Rick Pitino at Providence where he guided the Friars to the 1987 Final Four and was an Honorable Mention All-American.
  • Played one season in the NBA for the New York Knicks under Rick Pittino before getting his coaching break under Pittino as a graduate assistant at Kentucky in 1989. Was hired as a full-time assistant at UK in 1990 and remained there until taking the head coaching job at Marshall in 1994, where at just 28 years of age, he was the youngest head coach in college basketball.
HOME CALENDAR HISTORY GATOR DAY GOLF UF SPORTS PHOTOS LINKS CONTACT MEMBERSHIP FYI BUY/SELL
TICKETS