Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
LAS VEGAS --- Shortly after he transferred from Division III Catholic University in Washington D.C. to walk on at Florida, Billy Donovan III walked into the locker room and noticed how quiet it got.
“When that first happened, I said, ‘Guys, I’m not the Fed,’” Donovan III joked late Sunday night in a back hallway of the Thomas & Mack Center, shortly after serving as head coach for the Chicago Bulls summer league team.
His father, Billy, had already left the arena, which seemed fitting. Because just as Donovan III quickly earned the trust of his teammates while playing for his father at Florida, he’s trying to carve out his own identity as an NBA coach.
“I’ve always been in this position where I’m the coach’s kid or ‘he’s here because of his Dad,’” Donovan III said. “You have to work to prove people wrong. It’s been a motivation for me.”
And indeed, Donovan III is traveling the grinder path that somebody without his last name might take. High school junior varsity coach. High school varsity coach. G League assistant. Video coordinator. And now summer league head coach, to be followed by G League head coach for the Windy City Bulls.
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“He has had to store practice gear and game jerseys in his apartment. He has had to organize the buses, plane flights, tickets (in the G League),” Donovan, the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, said. “He's very low maintenance, very unassuming about what he thinks he’s owed, which he knows is nothing. He’s worked really, really hard.
“This week has been great for me personally to see. But I also understand that this is the profession that he has chosen. And I’ve always tried to let him be himself and establish himself with the players and the coaching staff. Even though we’ve worked together, I’m not over his shoulder. If he needs to come to me for something or has questions, he knows I’m there.”
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Donovan III said he first caught the coaching bug shortly after he transferred to Florida. As a walk-on and player who mostly saw merely mop-up minutes, he started bringing back more accomplished teammates at night for extra workouts.
During those drills, Donovan III drew satisfaction from seeing incremental improvement.
“I was like, ‘I kind of like the coaching thing.’ My mom was like, ‘What are you doing? This is not an easy life.’ So she’s on me about it as far as the work-life balance, which is good," Donovan III said. "But you’re helping people. You’re seeing these guys get better. That’s worth it to me.”
Donovan said his son largely transferred to Florida to walk on for him because Donovan III quickly realized he wanted to be around people who viewed basketball as a potential profession, not a pastime.
“He understood his role. He was getting in if we were up or down 20. But he was in practice every day, learning. And he started to bring guys back at night to work them out,” Donovan said. “He has great relationships with the players.
“And I give him credit for this: It was hard being in the situation he was in when he was around me in college because players can think, ‘Anything I tell him is going back to his Dad.’ And he really understood that line. All my time I’ve been with him, he’s never come to me on anything about any conversation he’s had with a player. And I would never put him in that situation because he has to build his own relationships and his own trust. If you violate and lose trust in somebody because you’re taking a conversation and spreading it, that’s not good. And he understands that.”
Where Donovan helped his son the most is by making his wide network of contacts available. Nevertheless, it fell on Donovan III to pick up the phone and pick those brains or attend those practices.
So Donovan III would have long talks with Jeff or Stan Van Gundy, whose father was a longtime successful coach. Or he’d sit with Monty Williams and watch film. Or talk to Maurice Cheeks about player relationships.
“Whatever profession you’re in, people are going to help you get places. But at the end of the day, you have to perform on your own. And I think that’s what I’ve learned from my Dad,” Donovan III said. “He’s always like, ‘Listen, I’ll help you in any way that I can.’ And he’s been very resourceful in helping me build my network in terms of coaches. But I’m the one who has to earn the trust of everyone else in the building.
“I was a walk-on at Florida and didn’t play very much. So you have to find ways to get players to trust you. And you do that by working and showing, especially when you’re watching film, that you have their best interests at heart. Players want to be coached. And if you can give them tools to help them in their careers, that’s rewarding for you and them.”
In fact, Donovan III said that’s his favorite part of coaching.
“Starting in the G League, if you can help a guy get to the next level or get overseas where he’s making good money for himself and his family---because this is a livelihood---that’s rewarding,” Donovan III said. “But I really feel I’d be doing this if I was making pennies. I think just serving others is what I do.”
It’s uncanny at times to watch Donovan III on the sidelines. He chews gum intensely like his father. His arms are folded similarly at times.
But both men know that Donovan III has to find his own voice.
“As a Dad, you’re obviously proud and excited for him. But there’s also responsibility,” Donovan said. “From the business part of it, he has seen it at every level. I thought that was important. And I think that’s why he has earned his way.
“Look, (executive vice president) Artūras Karnišovas and (general manager) Marc (Eversley) have a responsibility to the Chicago Bulls. And I have a responsibility to the Bulls. In their conversations with Billy, they were looking at how they can take some of these people who were in these entry positions and grow out people in the organization.
“And this is a wonderful opportunity for him, which is now on him to take advantage of. We can talk basketball and show film and different ideas, concepts, things happening in Europe, whatever. But now it’s: How are you going to handle when a player walks in late to a team meeting? How are you going to handle some guy who is upset with his playing time? How do you manage relationships with the players to get them to see a bigger picture and then deal and confront the issues that occur within the team? That’s the thing that he’ll learn and grow the most from. You have to be able to articulate your vision and have hard conversations and be truthful and honest.”
It can be both a blessing and a curse to have a famous father. The blessings may come in the form of shared knowledge and experiences plus opportunities and connections. The curse can come in the form of leaving a wide shadow to create one’s own identity.
Donovan III, who credited his wife and family often during his interview, seems unfazed by it all. He’s grounded and comfortable in his own skin because he knows he’s pursuing the dream that he has chosen.
“My Dad is so intentional with what he does because he genuinely cares about people,” Donovan III said. “I had the pleasure of working with Monty Williams. And my Dad is the same way, like, ‘I’m serving you. How can I help you?’ He’s always asking other people that, whether it’s a player or staff member. Being vulnerable in a way to expose yourself and build trust with people around you, I think that’s something he’s elite at and something I’ve taken from him.
“Obviously I’m humbled by this opportunity. There’s a lot of people who helped me along the way. I’m grateful for the organization putting their belief in me. I have a lot of amazing people around me who are my support system. I’m truly honored.”
