This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
John Calipari couldn't do it.
Rick Pitino tried twice — and failed twice.
Jerry Tarkanian lasted 20 games.
P.J. Carlesimo was choked by Latrell Sprewell.
Each of the four coaches mentioned above was highly successful in college basketball — and largely bottomed out in the NBA.
Sure, Carlesimo led the Portland Trail Blazers to the postseason in three consecutive years, but the Sprewell incident was his most noteworthy pro moment. Yes, Pitino took the New York Knicks to the postseason in the late 1980s, but his lasting legacy is reminding fans as a Boston Celtics coach that Larry Bird and Kevin McHale weren't walking through that door.
By and large, the college coaching graveyard is littered with those who went to the NBA and couldn't hack it. But that narrative is slowly changing.
In Boston, Brad Stevens looks like a brilliant hire by Danny Ainge. Stevens is smart, he knows how to motivate his players. He's developing a young roster, and he's one of the best young coaches in the league.
As good as Stevens has been, Billy Donovan has been even more impressive in Oklahoma City. He has probably been the best coach in the NBA during the postseason. Donovan's ability to make adjustments, both between games and in games, has been remarkable.
First, he outcoached the legendary Gregg Popovich during OKC's Western Conference semifinal victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He figured out the Spurs couldn't handle both Steven Adams and Enes Kanter on the glass. So he played them together — with conventional wisdom suggesting it was a fatal move — and that pairing went a long way toward the Thunder winning the series and reaching the Western Conference finals, which is tied 3-3 after defending champion Golden State won Game 6 on Saturday night, 108-101.
I know what you're thinking. Donovan has Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, two of the top five players in the NBA. He also has Serge Ibaka, one of the better defenders in the league, plus a deep and talented bench. He has former head coaches Mo Cheeks and Monty Williams on his staff, both there to help Donovan handle the transition from college to pro.
All of that is true. But the Thunder look much more organized under Donovan, on both ends of the floor, than they did under previous coach Scott Brooks. Donovan also has figured out how to maximize Durant's and Westbrook's considerable talents in tandem. He has staggered their playing time so both go segments without the other during each half, essentially getting to run the team on their own.
Maybe most important is that Donovan has shown the ability to make positive strategic adjustments the entire postseason. When Golden State coach Steve Kerr employed a defense that left OKC non-shooter Andre Roberson alone in the corner, Donovan responded by making Roberson a screener for Durant and Westbrook. The move got Roberson the ball on the move, which made him harder to defend. When Kerr started putting Kanter in pick-and-roll situations, exposing his limitations as a defender, Donovan limited his time in the rotation.
Calipari, Pitino, Tarkanian — they couldn't adjust their style. They had difficulty demanding respect from pros. Pitino, in particular, tried to invoke his collegiate style of pressing and trapping on the NBA, and it didn't work.
Donovan has been able to avoid most of those pitfalls. This year hasn't been perfect; the Thunder gained a reputation of wilting in fourth quarters, and were not thought of as serious title contenders entering the playoffs.
But Donovan deserves credit for having his team peak at the right time. Even if he was handed one of the best rosters in the league, he has maximized that roster, something Brooks wasn't able to do other than bringing the Thunder to a 2012 NBA Finals appearance.
Donovan has NBA bloodlines as a player, and he's learned from some of the best in the coaching business. He coached the Florida Gators to multiple national championships and has a bushel of Final Four appearances. He's a darned good coach, and clearly able to adapt to any situation. We'll know soon if Donovan is able to win an NBA title. If the Thunder do dispatch Golden State, they should be considered favorites against the Cavaliers. But even if he doesn't, he's proven he belongs in the NBA as a coach.
Popovich, Kerr and Rick Carlisle are three of the best coaches in this league. Donovan has faced all of them in the playoffs and more than held his own. That's not bad for someone who, before this season, had been in college for his entire coaching career.