As Gators coach Billy Donovan walks down the stairs, each step soundly resonates in the UF basketball practice facility.
It seems business as usual for the two-time defending national champion coach as he prepares to meet and greet the media for the first time in the young basketball season.
But hidden behind the normalcy is the underlying thought and feelings of all those involved, who, like Donovan himself, realize just how close he was to saying goodbye.
It was a mere five months ago, on an ordinary Friday in June, when Donovan chose to follow most of the members from the greatest team he?s ever coached and join them in the NBA.
The Orlando Magic offered him a deal too good to resist - 5 years, ,27.5 million - and all the fame the pro game could offer.
Donovan could stay close to home. He could coach young talents Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.
But perhaps it was his mentor, Rick Pitino, whose career never was the same after he lept for the pro game, who forced Donovan to have second thoughts. Or maybe it was just the chance to stay and mold college players before they forgot why they play the game, before contracts and commercials and all the money that makes things complicated are thrust upon them.
The reason may never truly be known to anyone but the coach himself, but just 24 hours after signing his contract, Donovan called the Magic and said, thank you, but I?m sorry.
Donovan returned to the Gators with perhaps the only blemish on his successful reputation and a ban from the NBA for the next five years.
Donovan was happy to be back, and with a new six-year-deal worth ,3.25 million a year, he was ready to move on.
"At this point I?m ready to just leave that all behind," Donovan said. "I?ve admitted before that I made a mistake, and I couldn?t be happier than to be in Florida. It?s where my heart belongs and where I plan to coach and focus on the right things."
As the season progresses and new stories arise, the tale of Donovan?s departure will soon begin to fade. But for some, the event will always remains clear in their minds.
Freshman Jai Lucas, who was a late recruit to UF, still badgers his coach whenever he can.
"I was teasing him a little bit because he had his Orlando Magic tie on tonight," Lucas said after UF?s win against Lynn on Monday. "I told him he had the wrong colors on. I think he laughed about it."
Besides Lucas, there were other players who were forced to hold their breath as Donovan wavered between his desires. Among them were freshman Alex Tyus, another late Gators commit, and current sophomores Jonathan Mitchell, Marreese Speights and Dan Werner, who were moments away from losing their coach.
And there was Patrick Patterson, the highly touted recruit, who chose to go to Kentucky, citing Donovan?s possible departure as a one reason for deciding not to come to Gainesville.
Most of the players were shocked to hear of Donovan?s decision to leave, and when the coach held a team meeting to break the news personally, several players vented their frustration.
"There was no getting in each other?s face," Werner said. "We just put our feelings down on the table."
Then came the aftershock, when Donovan reversed his decision and decided to remain at UF. The coach called for another heart-to-heart with his team.
"He came in and let us know, 'Don?t think I?m going to hold [what you said] against you guys," Werner said. "I?m the same guy that you wanted to come play for. It?s going to be a big challenge, but we have to come together and be a team.'"
Then many of the players finally breathed a sign of relief.
"I always wanted to play for Coach Donovan," Lucas said. "It was interesting there for a minute, but I?m glad he came back. I knew coming to Florida that I was going to get the best coach in the nation, and I?m glad that happened."
The news of Donovan?s possible departure broke only weeks before the NBA Draft, where a number of former Gators were about to become lottery picks.
At a predraft camp in Orlando, former UF forward Joakim Noah fielded questions from reporters when the topic of his former coach?s future came up.
Noah, who seemed skeptical of the rumor, just shook his head and responded with his typical style.
"That?s a lot of hamburgers," he said of the money.
In the world of college sports, some coaches say the season always seems to come early. Others claim it never truly ends for them.
Donovan often admits that if he?s not coaching, chances are he?s recruiting. Normally, a break would be nice. But this year, Donovan is eager to begin the season and hopes the future will be free of references to his summer actions.
"I like to think those days are over," he said. "We have a lot of work to do here, and I think it?s time to begin moving on."
When the Gators opened their on-court play with an exhibition game against Flagler College on Nov. 1, Donovan received the largest ovation of any Gator announced. It seemed at that moment, with the lights dimmed and the season knocking at the door, that all was truly forgotten.
Donovan may be one of the easiest coaches in history to forgive. After taking over for Lon Kruger on March 27, 1996, Donovan has led the program to heights most never thought possible.
In a town where football is king, Donovan helped change a culture rooted in a one-sided history.
In 11 years, Donovan is responsible for hanging two banners in the O?Connell center - the same number of rings attained by the football program during that span. Before Donovan, the UF basketball program was stuck in limbo. It had only appeared in the NCAA Tournament five times in 77 years. The Gators had won 20 games in a season just five times and were never ranked No. 1. Under his direction, those numbers have gone to nine, nine and six, respectively.
His success came to a pinnacle last season, when the Gators sent five players to the pros, including an unprecedented three in the top 10: Al Horford (No. 3), Corey Brewer (No. 7) and Noah (No. 9).
Before Donovan, the Gators claimed only two first round picks in all.
The bar has been set high heading into this season.
On paper, Donovan boasts what appears to be his strongest recruiting class ever. The class was ranked No. 1 overall by Rivals.com and features two five-star players in Nick Calathes and Lucas.
Calathes and Lucas were both selected to the 2007 McDonald?s All American team. Calathes, the two-time Florida Mr. Basketball, serves as the centerpiece to this new group.
The rest of the bunch features Calathes? high school teammate Chandler Parsons, as well as Adam Allen and Tyus.
With two exhibition games in the books, the freshmen have already shown their versatility and widespread talent. In the team?s exhibition win against Lynn, the group scored 71 of the team?s 101 points.
The main issue with this year?s team won?t be talent. Instead, numerous question marks surround the young group, which Donovan said has left him baffled at times.
"There?s so many things that we?ve experimented with and tried to change or tweak because I really don?t know these guys and what they?re good at it," he said. "Any preseason ranking on our team or any ranking of where we?re supposed to be in the SEC, to me is completely unrealistic, just because none of these guys have played. So who really knows?
"We?re all just trying to learn about each other and how to play this game. It?s a learning process for them and for me."
If the team hopes to be successful, the players will have a good model to emulate. Donovan said he wants to eliminate the idea of a three-peat but said he still wants the young players to look to the past before they move forward.
"They do have a model that played here last year and represented what the word 'team? meant. But I want them to form their own identity and become their own team," Donovan said. "When you?ve got something that you can use as a teaching point, I think it?s good. I think using a guy like Joakim and how hard he ran is a good example for anyone. But when you talk about on the court, this guy is this, this guy is that, then you?re making comparisons, and these guys are not those guys. I don?t want them to be those guys. I want them to be themselves."
Donovan will face one of his most unique challenges this season. Not since his first year at UF has he ever walked into a gym with so few returning players. This is the first time in school history that not a single starter returns from the previous season.
"In my first year, I walked into a situation where I saw the players and didn?t know what they could do," he said. "This is a very unique situation and last year was very unique with all the guys returning. I look at it as a different experience from a coaching perspective. It?s going to take a lot of time, and a lot of effort, but I?m excited for the possibilities."
