St. John’s makes initial contact with Donovan

The New York Post confirmed Sunday that St. John’s University has indeed made initial contact University of Florida head basketball coach Billy Donovan about filling their job opening. According to the Post’s sources, Donovan spoke with a Red Storm booster late Friday and “was intrigued by what he heard.”

Nevertheless, it would take a lot (and certainly a contract exceeding his current $3.5 million per season) to lure Donovan away from Gainesville, FL. Currently, the school is looking to spend under $2 million per year for a coach, though it could raise plenty of additional money through private donations.

“I am very happy here, and we have a very good team coming back next season,” Donovan told the Post via text message. “St. John’s has a great tradition, and I have great respect for that program.”

Donovan, who is already “breaking down film of his team’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to BYU and working on his recruiting plan” for Florida, is doing exactly what one would expect a coach to do in preparation for remaining at his job next season.

The Post also reported that Red Storm athletic director Chris Monasch already requested permission from Gators AD Jeremy Foley to speak with Donovan directly about the position, though that information is being disputed by Foley (see below).

UPDATE: In text messages he received from Donovan and Foley, respectively, Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun reports that the Post’s story is not 100 percent accurate. Donovan told Dooley that he cannot control what is being written about him in the press and that he has only spoken with a school alumnus who is close to the Post, while Foley contends that he has not yet been contacted by Monasch.

OGGOA will continue updating this breaking story.