Billy Donovan signs extension with Florida

Florida men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan has signed a three-year extension. In addition to the extension he also got a raise.

Donovan signed the extension, which was agreed to in June of last year, last month. His salary was raised to $3.7 million over the final six years of the deal, which ends at the end of the 2018-19 season. He got a longevity bonus of $250,000 this season. His salary is now almost $100,000 a season. Donovan will earn $3.9 million this season with the bonus, and $3.681 million the next five seasons, according to the Associated Press.

''When you try to project where your future is, where you're going to be, and you don't know because I don't have a crystal ball, all I can say is I am happy here at Florida. I love being here. The NBA part of it, the intrigue part of it for me, is just the fact that it's basketball 24 hours a day. That's all you're dealing with is basketball,” Donovan said. 'When you say a lifer, that means to me I'm never, ever going to go anywhere and be there. Who knows? They may get sick of me at Florida and want me to move on. But I don't like coming out making bold predictions or statements. I would say I'm extremely happy with my life right now at the University of Florida.''

Donovan has been Florida’s coach for 18 seasons. He left Florida in 2007 to become the coach of the Orlando Magic. When he returned to Florida he had a non-compete clause, which meant that he couldn’t coach in the NBA for five years. That agreement has expired, but he decided to stay with Florida. He recently passed Dale Brown for number two on the SEC’s all-time wins list by a coach, according to USA Today. Only Adolph Rupp has more SEC wins as a coach.

Florida went 18-0 in the regular season, becoming the first team in SEC history to go undefeated in the regular season. They won the SEC tournament and were the overall top seed in the NCAA tournament. The Gators will play UCLA in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.