San Antonio Spurs Add Hall-of-Famer Billy Donovan as Lead Assistant Coach

The two-time NCAA champion with over three decades of head coaching experience will join Mitch Johnson's staff, filling a gap left as Sean Sweeney departs for Orlando.

Apr 10, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan laughs with an official during the second half against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SAN ANTONIO -- In a move that Matt Bonner is sure to love, the Spurs are reportedly bringing in Hall of Fame coach Billy Donovan as a the lead assistant coach.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Donovan, who won back-to-back NCAA titles at Florida before five years as head coach in Oklahoma City and six in Chicago, will join Mitch Johnson's staff as the lead assistant. He fills a void left by Sean Sweeney, who just vacated the position to take the top job with the Orlando Magic.

Donovan has spent the last 32 years as a head coach in college and the NBA, and in 2025 was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The last time the former Providence point guard was an assistant was when he joined the staff of his old coach Rick Pitino at Kentucky in the 90's.

"He taught me how to work, he taught me what it was to compete, and he taught me about what really went into winning," Donovan said of Pitino when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Former coach Rick Pitino and his former player Billy Donovan. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When the most recent Bulls' season ended, he stepped down as the head coach in Chicago. By coming to San Antonio as an assistant, he's relinquishing the role he's had as the top dog for the first time since Forrest Gump beat Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture.

But as lead assistant Donovan will still have a vital role to play for a young team that hopes to return to the NBA Finals and come home with the trophy this time. He coached some awesome Thunder squads that never made it all the way, and the prospect of winning his first NBA title must be a motivating factor for someone who is already immortalized in Springfield.

Mitch Johnson finished his first full season as head coach last year, and while the Spurs remain confident in the 36-year-old he had his fair share of learning moments throughout the season and especially in the Finals. Donovan adds decades of experience that can help Johnson and his staff with playoff adjustments and late-game execution. He's built a reputation as someone who builds meaningful relationship with players and the staff, which fits San Antonio's family atmosphere.

"When you transition from college to the NBA, it's not that easy," Donovan said in his induction speech. "There's a large learning curve, and there was plenty of potholes that I was getting ready to step into as a coach, but I was so fortunate with my first staff to have Monty Williams, and Mark Bryant, and Mo Cheeks, all coaches and players in the league."

Now, Donovan can be a similar support for Johnson.

Last summer, the Spurs plucked Sweeney away from the Dallas Mavericks with the associate head coach title, and the defensive specialist helped build a juggernaut on that end around Victor Wembanyama. A tradition that started under Gregg Popovich, Sweeney becomes another San Antonio assistant whose stock shoots up to the point of earning their first head coaching job somewhere else. Corliss Williamson might be next up, as his role will likely increase and he's the head coach for the Summer League team this year.

This summer, the Spurs are going a different route and bringing in a lead assistant who has been the top dog wherever he's been for the last 32 years. For a team that needed just a little more seasoning, Donovan brings a tremendous amount.