NBA Coaching Carousel Could Shake Up College Basketball

The NBA’s coaching carousel could put college basketball’s own cycle back into full swing. 

On Tuesday, Billy Donovan stepped down as head coach of the Bulls after six seasons, creating the third opening in the league, joining the Bucks and Pelicans with open vacancies. 

ESPN reported that Donovan plans to coach immediately elsewhere, and his decision to step down comes as longtime Warriors coach Steve Kerr contemplates his future. 

Kerr’s contract expires in June, and he hinted at a possible goodbye in the team’s play-in tournament loss to Phoenix, hugging Stephen Curry and Draymond Green—two pillars on his four championship teams. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I love you guys to death,” Kerr told his players, adding to speculation that he could leave. “And thank you.” 

One league source told Front Office Sports that they expect Kerr back with the Warriors next season, while another believes he’s coached his last game. NBC Sports Bay Area reported Kerr is not expected back, barring the 60-year-old having “a renewed faith in his role.” 

Golden to Golden State?

Florida coach Todd Golden has already been linked to a possible Warriors vacancy, according to Yahoo Sports, and reportedly has a relationship with the Lacob family, which owns the team. Golden’s first head coaching gig came at San Francisco, where he coached for three seasons and was an assistant for three prior. 

Golden also played college basketball at St. Mary’s in the Bay Area and appears to know the Lacob’s through local basketball circles. His Florida buyout is $11 million if he leaves for another college job, but just $2 million if he leaves for an NBA job. 

Billy Coming Back?

Could Donovan return to Florida, where he won back-to-back national championships and has the court named after him? He was reportedly interested in the North Carolina opening, which ultimately went to former Nuggets coach Michael Malone, and college basketball has become more professionalized since he left Florida in 2015 to coach the Thunder.

News of Donovan’s exit from Chicago came shortly before Florida junior Thomas Haugh announced he was returning to Gainesville for his senior season despite being a projected first-round pick in June’s NBA draft. Haugh will continue to play with his frontcourt mate Alex Condon, another projected draft pick who announced he’s returning to UF for another season. Golden’s squad may be the preseason No. 1 team this fall. 

Could Donovan also return to the Sunshine State—for a different gig? A league source told FOS on Tuesday that Donovan is expected to be a candidate for the Magic if the team parts ways with head coach Jamahl Mosley. Donovan infamously left Florida in June 2007 to coach the Magic but changed his mind five days after his introductory press conference and returned to Florida. 

All Eyes on Orlando

Mosley has coached the Magic for five seasons and is reportedly on the hot seat. He has never won a playoff series in Orlando. The eighth-seeded Magic beat the Pistons 112–101 on Sunday to take a 1-0 series lead. It’s unknown if a playoff run could save Mosley’s job, but it would be a tough look to fire him if the Magic win this series. Mosley is reportedly a candidate for the Pelicans’ opening, along with former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, as well as interim coach James Borrego and former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, according to HoopsHype. 

While the Magic’s season might not end until next week at the earliest, it appears another coach is waiting out the Magic or other possible openings, too. On April 5, Michigan coach Dusty May told the school he wasn’t exploring any college openings, leaving the door open for a possible jump to the NBA. A day later, May and the Wolverines won the national championship by defeating Connecticut 69–63. 

On April 11, at Michigan’s championship celebration on campus, athletic director Warde Manuel told the crowd that May had agreed to the terms of a new deal with the school. That deal has yet to be signed. A public records request by FOS to Michigan for May’s new contract revealed “the contract extension announced in April 2026 is not yet finalized.”

May has extensive ties to the state of Florida, having served as an assistant coach for the Gators for three years and as head coach of Florida Atlantic from 2018 to 2024. If Golden and May both leave college for the NBA, the past two champions would need a new coach in mid-April with the transfer portal set to close on Tuesday night. 

Both the NBA and college basketball’s carousel could be spinning in full force. But they can’t spin simultaneously until Mosley’s fate is formally decided. 

Amanda Christovich contributed reporting to this story.