Billy Donovan is a highly decorated American basketball coach, recognized for leading collegiate and professional teams to significant achievements, including two NCAA Championships. After leading Providence College to the 1987 Final Four as a standout point guard, Billy Donovan transitioned to a professional playing career with the New York Knicks and in the Continental Basketball Association. He began his coaching ascent as a graduate assistant under Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky in 1989, quickly progressing to associate head coach and contributing to the Wildcats’ 1993 Final Four appearance. Donovan secured his first head coaching position at Marshall University in 1994, where he quickly revitalized the program, transforming a struggling team into a Southern Conference North Division champion in just two seasons and earning the 1995 Southern Conference Coach of the Year award.

He took on the head coaching role for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, immediately leading the team to the Western Conference finals in his first season and guiding them to playoff appearances in all five years of his tenure, concluding in 2020. In 2020, Donovan became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, where he continues to lead and build a competitive team. His coaching philosophy, emphasizing an up-tempo, full-court pressing style and strong work ethic, has consistently produced winning teams and developed numerous NBA draft picks. His indelible impact on basketball will be further celebrated with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2025.