The speculation can cease now.
Billy Donovan has accepted the Magic's offer of five years and $27.5 million to become the franchise's latest head coach. He'll be introduced at a news conference tomorrow at 11:00 AM EST.
Kudos to the Magic for pursuing a big name. With all due respect to Stan Van Gundy, I doubt hiring him as the franchise's next coach would have made ESPN's front page. It's right in the center of the following screen grab:
And that's just what the Magic need: buzz. With all this attention, they should be able to get a new arena built. More importantly, they should be able to better attract free agents. Prior to today, the Magic could offer the opportunity to play alongside Dwight Howard and to make near-maximum money. Now, they can offer playing for one of college's most respected coaches.
A housekeeping note: In honor of Donovan's signing, I've added a "Billy Donovan" label to each post in which he appears, which will make those posts easier to find. I've also removed the "Brian Hill" label, although posts about him are still labeled under "Coaching".
31 May 2007
It's Official: Donovan Agrees to Terms, Will Sign with Magic
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1 comment:
I agree, signing Donovan was a very good move by the Magic, because it means more attention and more exposure. I would have been just as pleased if the Magic had signed SVG, but the fact that we were able to lure away an even bigger name (nationally speaking) like Billy Donovan really excites me as a Magic fan.
Just think, 2-3 days ago, it looked like we might be signing PJ Carelismo. I wouldn't have minded, but I definitely wouldn't be as intrigued and optimistic for the future as I am right now. NCAA coaches don't have much of a legacy in the NBA, but that doesn't mean BD can't turn the stereotype around. He's in a much, much better situation than Rick Pitino (who he's being compared against) ever was with the Celtics.
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