Last week, Oklahoma City fired head coach Scott Brooks after 7 years running the team. Today, according to reports, it looks like they have their first choice as a possible candidate in Billy Donovan. Donovan is currently the head coach for the Univeristy of Florida. Here is what Mark Stein of ESPN has heard:
Sources told ESPN.com that Donovan and Thunder general manager Sam Presti have opened a dialogue about the position, which became available a week ago after the dismissal of Scott Brooks…
Donovan is the first known candidate to talk with the Thunder about the job. It was not immediately clear how many other candidates, if any, Presti plans to sit down with.
Right now both sides are just discussing the possibility but nothing is official yet. We saw with Brad Stevens that you can make the transition from college coaching to the NBA which is why more doors are opening for college coaches. Mark Stein has also said that the Thunder’s head coach opening,
is essentially (Billy) Donovan’s job to accept or turn down.
The Thunder need to lock up Donovan or any head coach candidate for that matter and fast. With Kevin Durant set to become a free agent next year and Russell Westbrook the year after, they need to find a head man that’ll convince both of these All-Stars to stay for the long term.
Yahoo Sports has reported that Donovan and the Thunder are working on a final offer.
