Florida coach Billy Donovan has already earned some significant performance bonuses during the 2012-13 season.
Per his contract, Donovan will receive a $50,000 bonus for winning the Southeastern Conference regular season championship, $25,000 bonus for being named the AP’s SEC coach of the year and $37,500 for reaching the NCAA Tournament.
Donovan’s $37,500 bonus for reaching the NCAA Tournament would increase to $75,000 if the Gators reach the Sweet 16 and $100,000 if the Gators get to the Final Four in Atlanta. If the third-seeded Gators win the national title, Donovan would get a $150,000 bonus.
In December of 2011, Donovan signed a contract extension that pays him an average of $3.5 million annually through the 2015-16 season.
Other notes:
– Donovan said he would consider keeping Patric Young off the floor late in games due to his poor free-throw shooting. The 6-foot-9 center is shooting 49.6 percent (59-119) from the line this season. Donovan went through a similar situation two years ago with former UF center Vernon Macklin. Donovan said that decision will depend on matchups and is concerned about not having Young on the floor late due to his rebounding and defense. “It’s really who you’re playing against, matchups, lineups,” Donovan said. “Do we think some of these guys who are a little smaller can do a better job of rebounding?”
– Florida junior forward Will Yeguete told Florida Today’s David Jones that he’s “nowhere near 100 percent” after having surgery to repair bone chips in his knee. In the six games since he’s returned from knee surgery. Yeguete is averaging 3.3 points and 4 rebounds. “I’ve got to suck it up,” Yeguete said.
– Donovan, on only three teams from the SEC making the SEC Tournament: “(The Selection Committee) always talks about taking injuries into consideration, but what does that actually mean? How do you take injuries into consideration? With Nerlens (Noel) being out for Kentucky, how does that take into consideration, because obviously he’s no longer there. Are they evaluating Kentucky now because he is no longer available? How does Tennessee get viewed without (Jeronne) Maymon? How does Missouri get seeded or reviewed without Bowers? How does Florida get seeded or reviewed without Yeguete, (Erik) Murphy, (Casey) Prather. That’s the one thing I don’t know with any clarity.”
– Donovan shared a nice anecdote about former Florida coach Lon Kruger who this week became the first college coach to take five different teams to the NCAA Tournament (Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and Oklahoma). Kruger coached Florida to its first Final Four in school history in 1994 before resigning in 1996 to take the head coaching job at Illinois. Donovan replaced Kruger and recalled the coach leaving a letter in his desk drawer. “He wrote me a letter taking about what a great place this was, you’re going to love it, wishing nothing but the best of luck,” Donovan said. “(It said) anything he can do to help, just let me know. I thought he was a real class guy. Certainly, he’s bounced around a few different places and done a good job wherever he’s been.”
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