Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan shrugs off Kentucky rumors, re-affirms commitment to the Bulls
CHICAGO, Ill. - With the University of Kentucky men's basketball job officially open after John Calipari announced his departure Tuesday, the speculation has begun.
Plenty of names are expected to be considered for the Wildcats' coaching job, which considered a blue blood program in college basketball.
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was one of those names. On Tuesday, he shrugged off any speculation and re-affirmed his commitment to the Bulls.
"My total commitment and focus is here to this team and to this group," Donovan told reporters before Tuesday’s game against the Knicks, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I think with what we’ve been through and the way we started, I give our guys a lot of credit for hanging in there and battling through some of the things that we had to battle through and I’m with them on that. A lot of this stuff turns out to be speculation."
Donovan was an assistant coach at Kentucky under Rick Pitino from 1989 to 1994, and was on the Wildcats coaching staff that went to the Final Four in 1993.
Now, Kentucky is in need of a head coach after Calipari announced he was officially stepping away from Lexington. ESPN reported Sunday that Calipari was close to taking the head coaching job at Arkansas.
"The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice, that the university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance about this program that they hear," Calipari said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday. "The fans need to hear another voice. We've loved it here, but we think it's time for us to step away and step away completely from the program."
Calipari has not been announced as the head coach of the Razorbacks as of Tuesday evening. Donovan said he was flattered that his name would be mentioned for the job.
"You always are," Billy Donovan said.
For now, Donovan is committed to leading the Bulls, who are aiming to host a game in the NBA's Play-In Tournament.
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