Billy Donovan to Thunder: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction

The Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly agreed to terms with Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan on Thursday to fill the same role in their organization. He replaces Scott Brooks, who was let go after the team failed to qualify for the 2015 NBA playoffs.

Kevin Brockway of The Gainesville Sun passed along the news, which the team later confirmed:

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported it's a five-year deal "worth approximately $30 million," per sources.     

Donovan commented on the move in a school release, via Adam Silverstein of OnlyGators.com:

"

I want to thank Jeremy Foley, the players, coaches and staff I’ve had the chance to work with during my time at Florida. The administrative support and stability has been unbelievable here, and it is an incredibly difficult decision to leave that. I knew that it would take a unique opportunity to leave the University of Florida and that is clearly how I look at this situation.

"

ESPN.com's Royce Young provided an official statement from Donovan, while Bleacher Report's Howard Beck shared comments from Thunder general manager Sam Presti:

Face of the franchise Kevin Durant sounded optimistic about the hire, per Young and Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman:

Chandler Parsons and Bradley Beal, both of whom are former Gators, shared their reaction to the news:

On May 16, Wojnarowski reported that "Donovan has a targeted interest in several potential candidates, including ex-New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams, Chicago Bulls assistant Andy Greer and Portland Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts, league sources said.

Another possibility could be the return of New York Knicks assistant Brian Keefe, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

"Brooks won 62 percent of his games (338-207 record) across seven years in Oklahoma City. He took over for P.J. Carlesimo during the 2008-09 campaign, leading the franchise to the playoffs in each of his first five full seasons in charge.   

He won the Coach of the Year award after leading the Thunder to a 27-game improvement during the 2009-10 season. He also took the team to the NBA Finals two years later. Alas, the front office decided to move forward without him after a mediocre season in large part due to Durant's injury woes.

OKC now hopes Donovan can help get the team over the hump in the championship chase.

The 49-year-old coach had a short stint in the NBA as a point guard with the New York Knicks. He's really made a name for himself on the sideline, however.

He started his coaching career as an assistant under Rick Pitino at Kentucky before taking his first head coaching job at Marshall in 1994. Two years later, Florida hired Donovan to replace the departing Lon Kruger, and he's been a stalwart for the Gators over the past two decades.

Donovan led the program to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, with four of the trips going to the Final Four, and a pair of national championships in back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007.

After winning his second national title in 2007, Donovan accepted an offer to become the Orlando Magic's head coach, but he changed his mind almost immediately and returned to Gainesville within a matter of days.

All told, his winning percentage at the collegiate level was 70.9 percent (502-206 record). This will be his first time leading an NBA team.

Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel passed on comments Donovan made during last year's NCAA tournament about the allure of the next level:

"

The intriguing part of the NBA to me is just the fact that it's basketball 24 hours a day. That's all you're dealing with is basketball. There's a lot more that goes into a college coaching job other than the coaching part of it. There are a lot of other things you have to do.

"

He inherits a highly competitive roster featuring Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Durant's return to full strength so he can play at an MVP level is obviously crucial to making a deep run in the new coach's first season.

Jeff Goodman of ESPN weighed in on the situation Donovan is joining, saying: "College guys do not walk into situations like the one that Donovan will have in OKC. Has a chance to win NBA title if KD is healthy."

Donovan has been looking forward to the right opportunity coming along so he could take on this challenge. He found it. Now, the pressure is on.