CHICAGO — Native New Yorker and rumored Kentucky coaching candidate Billy Donovan said he hasn’t been contacted by the premier NCAA program and is “committed” to the Bulls — at least for this year.
“I’m committed to being here, trying to help these guys as best we can to close out this year,” Donovan said. “Get home court in the play-in [tournament] and try to advance.”
Donovan, a Long Island product, won back-to-back NCAA titles with Florida in 2006 and ’07.
He has been an NBA coach since 2015, first with the Thunder and now with the Bulls.
Donovan said Bulls president Arturas Karnisovas asked him about the Kentucky job, which was vacated recently by John Calipari.
“[Karnisovas] asked, ‘Has anybody reached out to you?’ ” Donovan said. “And I told him, ‘No,’ that I was committed to being here.”
Did Karnisovas ask the follow up of what would happen if the job was offered?
“He did not,” Donovan said. “He was not as thorough as you.”
Calipari, who has strong ties to Knicks executive William Wesley, is reportedly set to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks on a five-year deal with big booster money promised from Tyson chicken titan John Tyson.
Other reported candidates for his Wildcats replacement include Scott Drew of Baylor and Nate Oates of Alabama.
Despite the Bulls struggling, Donovan’s job is “100 percent safe,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Knicks used to be a sanctuary for Kentucky players but now only have one former Wildcat on the active roster — Jacob Toppin.
“[Calipari] had a good 15 years,” Toppin told The Post. “I don’t really know much about it. Obviously Kentucky has been struggling the past couple years. But he’s a great coach. Everyone loves him. So wherever he ends up next, it’s going to be good for him.”
