March Madness Rewind: Billy Donovan (26pts/10asts) Leads Providence to Elite 8 (1987)

Billy Donovan, star senior guard for Providence leads them to an upset over the 2 seeded Alabama Roll Tide. Donovan, who coached Florida to 2 national championships and is now the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, scorched Bama from behind the arc. Providence also featured up and coming coach Rick Pitino, who ironically narrowly lost to the heavily favored Alabama with his Iona Gaels.

DYK: After graduating and stints in the CBA, one year with the Knicks (were Pitino was head coach), Billy Donovan actually worked as a stock broker, but was “miserable” and begged Rick Pitino, who was now at Kentucky, for a coaching position. Pitino didn’t think he had the chops for it, as Donovan was known to be soft spoken. However, he gave Donovan a chance and he became a Graduate Assistant, moving up the ladder and becoming his top assistant. With Pitino’s recommendation, Billy Donovan went on to become the youngest D1 coach at age 35 at Marshall. And the rest, is history.

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