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A CHANGE OF HEART?(Tampa Tribune (FL) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jun. 4--GAINESVILLE -- Billy Donovan may not be leaving Gainesville after all. The former University of Florida basketball coach, who resigned Thursday after 11 seasons, three Final Fours and two national titles to coach the NBA's Orlando Magic, is having second thoughts, FoxSports.com reported late Sunday night. The Web site cited two sources close to the situation as saying Donovan regrets accepting a reported five-year, $27.5 million contract from the Magic. UF assistant Larry Shyatt, who was set to follow Donovan to Orlando as an assistant, answered the door at Donovan's home shortly after midnight early today and said neither man would have a comment. Earlier Sunday, two Florida sources declined comment to The Tampa Tribune, citing "legal" reasons. Donovan's voice mail box was full, and he did not respond to a text message. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley did not respond to a voice mail or a text message. Magic spokesman Joel Glass did not respond to two voice mails. Matt Kramer, a spokesman for Career Sports and Entertainment, the Atlanta-based firm that represents Donovan, said he knew nothing about the situation. At 9:09 p.m. Sunday, the Virginia Commonwealth sports information office released a statement from Coach Anthony Grant -- the Gators' top choice to succeed Donovan -- saying UF officials had contacted Grant, but that that parties hadn't spoken in person and that no job had been offered. "I have been contacted by the University of Florida regarding their coaching vacancy," Grant said in the statement. "I have not had any in person contact with any Florida representative, nor have I been offered the job. "At this point in time, I will have no further comment on this situation as my focus is on my responsibilities at VCU." The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported Saturday that a Cessna Citation registered to UF's athletic department landed Saturday morning in Richmond and that four men got off the plane, made phone calls and boarded the plane again after only a few minutes. FoxSports cited a source as saying the plane returned because Foley learned Donovan wished to return. Foley and Grant were scheduled to meet about the UF job. Before leaving Florida, Donovan had agreed in principle to an extension that would have been the richest ever given to a college basketball coach. ESPN reported that Donovan had signed a contract with Orlando. In news conferences Friday at the Magic's Maitland complex and at UF, Donovan said delays in finalizing his contract did not affect his decision to take the Magic job. "My decision," Donovan said Friday in Gainesville, "had nothing to do with the University of Florida, my contract or anything of that nature. ... People say, 'Why leave if you're happy?' For me, it was the challenging piece of taking another step in my life." Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or [email protected]. To see more of the Tampa Tribune -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tampatrib.com. Copyright (c) 2007, Tampa Tribune, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |