Commentary: Donovan’s $27.5 million tryout

Ah, Billy. Why?

Of course. Silly question. There are 27.5 million reasons why. And if you never scratch the NBA itch, you’ll always wonder what might have been. That could be you in June.

Plus, all the starters on your Florida repeat champions left town as if there was a hurricane warning. You’d be rebuilding from the basement up. Life without Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, et al. must seem pretty scary.

But … don’t Billy Donovan and college basketball go together like Los Angeles and traffic?

Wasn’t Gainesville, with apologies to Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth?

Wasn’t the Gators’ administration going to sign you into the next decade, with enough money to buy Ocala?

And surely you know all about Rick Pitino. John Calipari. Mike Montgomery. Tim Floyd. P.J. Carlesimo. Lon Kruger.

All card-carrying members of their own special wing of the NBA coaches alumni club. Mainly, college guys who flopped. The list is long and distinguished.

If Donovan consulted history the past few days, history would have told him to take a deep breath, count to 10, and then go back to recruiting the next Florida team.

To review the carnage:

“Pitino, a national champion with five Final Four trips … and a 192-220 record with Boston and the New York Knicks.

“Calipari, a big-time winner at Massachusetts and Memphis … but 72-112 with the New Jersey Nets.

“Montgomery, the winningest coach in Stanford history … but a 68-98 flameout just up the road at Golden State.

“Floyd, a hot item at Iowa State … but the guy who took over for Phil Jackson in Chicago and went 49-190 with the Bulls.

“Carlesimo, who managed to get Seton Hall to the national championship game … but went 183-222 with Golden State and Portland, and was noticed most when Latrell Sprewell’s hands were around his neck.

“Kruger, who coached the Florida Gators to a national title game long before Billy Donovan was a gleam in the Gators’ eyes … but was 69-122 with the Atlanta Hawks. Just this past March, he took UNLV to a surprise Sweet 16 berth. Back home again.

Remember pictures of those gentlemen when they were working in the NBA? None of them looked as if he were having a big time very often, did they? What’s the price tag on happiness?

Maybe they just had bad luck and worse timing, taking over teams in trouble. Or maybe the NBA is just too different for most college coaches. They become like American tennis players on clay courts.

Whichever, Billy Donovan is about to find out. And the mission is not impossible. Every so often, there’s a Larry Brown.

And before Gregg Popovich put together a quiet dynasty at San Antonio, he coached at Pomona-Pitzer. Does that count?

The past probably didn’t mean much in Donovan’s considerations. Every good coach is sure he can do the job that other men couldn’t. The meek don’t kick UCLA’s tail so often.

If he was determined to get to the greener grass on the other side, Orlando probably is as good a fit as anywhere. The Magic roster is young and presumably eager. The family gets to stay in Florida.

And with one signature, Billy Donovan soars into the top six of NBA coaching salaries, before winning a game. He’ll make as much as Popovich did this year, with his three titles. More than the other three coaches in this spring’s conference finals.

The most logical argument is this is a bad idea. That a man should not leave something he is obviously so well suited for.

But Donovan is 42. It not now, when? And if he becomes another Pitino, another Calipari, another Floyd … well, he probably won’t have trouble finding a job in college basketball.

A lot of us probably don’t take this plunge. But Billy Donovan is.

Maybe that’s one reason why he will make $5.5 million next year.

And a lot of us won’t.