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Report: Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City ‘nearing an agreement’ on coaching vacancy

Billy Donovan

AP Photo

AP

Early Wednesday if was reported that Billy Donovan and Oklahoma City had begun discussions regarding the head coaching position left vacant after the Thunder fired Scott Brooks. Things have progressed throughout the day, as late Wednesday night ESPN.com reported that the two sides are “nearing an agreement” a multiyear deal.

This is not the first time that Donovan has had overtures from the NBA level, as he accepted and then turned down the Orlando Magic head coaching position back in 2007. Many in the college coaching community have believed that this would finally be the year where Donovan made the jump.

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti has hired a pair of former Donovan staffers already -- Mark Daigneault as a D-League head coach and Oliver Winterbone as a data analyst with the organization.

Donovan will turn 50 next month, having spent the past 21 years as a head coach at the college level. He’s been with Florida since 1996, winning national titles in 2006 and 2007, but this past season, when the Gators finished 16-17 overall, was the first since 1998 in which they did not participate in the postseason.