Donovan Leaves Orlando at the Altar Gators coach finds it too hard to say goodbye, will stay in Gainesville By Jesse Andrews Posted Jun 5, 2007 5:48 AM CDT Copied Florida coach Billy Donovan cuts down the net after his Gators defeated Ohio State 84-75 in the Final Four basketball championship at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, in this April 2, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Associated Press) After signing a $27.5 million deal on Friday to coach the NBA's Orlando Magic, two-time champion coach Billy Donovan has decided he wants to stay in Gainesville after all. This makes him the third college coach since June 2006 to renege on a new deal in order to stay with his school. Creighton's Dana Altman and College of Charleston's Gregg Marshall also backed out of new deals, in their cases with other college programs. SI writer Luke Winn opines that in the effort to prevent drawn-out dramas that undermine a team's stability, coaching deals may be made too quickly, pressuring coaches to make snap decisions they can easily come to regret. Read These Next A family hike took a tragic turn in Arkansas on Saturday. A new book argues the Sacagawea legend is all wrong. White House makes Hegseth put his polygraph away. US denies visas to Venezuelan team bound for Little League tournament. Report an error