Bulls' Billy Donovan Addresses Kentucky Speculation As John Calipari Exits

Madison Williams | Apr 9, 2024

Mar 7, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan calls a time out vs. the Golden State Warriors. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

John Calipari shocked the college basketball world this week after announcing he is leaving the Kentucky Wilcats men's basketball program after 15 years to become Arkansas' new head coach.

Since then, a few names have popped up as possible candidates to replace Calipari, including a back-to-back national champion in UConn coach Dan Hurley. Another one of the rumored prospects is Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan.

Donovan, who began his coaching career as an assistant at Kentucky from 1989 to '94, was asked Tuesday about the speculation of him returning to the Wildcats to coach college basketball, and he gave a quick, simple response.

"I have not been contacted by anybody; I haven't spoken to anybody. My total commitment and focus is here to this team," Donovan said, via Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe. "A lot of this stuff I think sometimes turns out to be speculation."

Billy Donovan said Kentucky had not contacted him about the head coach position.

Spoke highly of UK and said he’s flattered, but brushed the last 48 hours off as speculation.

“My total commitment and focus is here.”

Quipped later: “Has John even left yet?.” pic.twitter.com/5UH9aQy0K6

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) April 9, 2024

Donovan has coached in the NBA since 2015, first with the Oklahoma City Thunder and now with the Bulls since 2020. It appears he has no pending offers to return to college basketball at this time.