Thunder coach Billy Donovan perseveres in season of adversity

Billy Donovan, the first-year coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, was in attendance to support his lead assistant coach, Monty Williams, when Williams gave a moving eulogy at the funeral of his wife.

Donovan’s support of assistant coach Maurice Cheeks, who had major hip surgery last month, has also been unwavering.

It’s been a season of challenges for Donovan as he faces the stretch run of his rookie season coaching the Thunder without his two top assistant coaches.

“It’s been hard, really hard,” Donovan told Yahoo Sports. “It’s been really hard on our players. It’s been really hard on our staff. Just the absence of those guys as people, what they are dealing with.

“You don’t ever want to see anyone in that kind of pain and suffering. Obviously, Mo’s is physical and I think he is doing better. But for someone like Monty, who has five children, it’s hard. It’s just hard.”

The Thunder hired Donovan on April 30 after 19 seasons as head coach at the University of Florida. The former New York Knicks guard coached the Gators to two national titles and four Final Fours while posting a record of 467-186.

While Donovan’s basketball résumé speaks for itself, what was missing was NBA coaching experience, which is why Williams and Cheeks, both former NBA head coaches, were hired June 29.

Williams posted a 173-221 record with two playoff appearances with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2010-15. Cheeks went 305-315 in nine seasons as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. He was also a Thunder assistant from 2009-13.

With Williams and Cheeks by his side, Donovan coached the Thunder to a 39-14 record after a win over the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 8. (The team has gone 3-5 since.)

But before the Thunder could enjoy the All-Star break, tragedy struck when Ingrid Williams was involved in a car accident on Feb. 9 after the driver of an SUV lost control of her vehicle and swerved into Williams’ lane.

Ingrid Williams, 44, passed away Feb. 10 from injuries suffered in the accident. Monty Williams has since taken an indefinite leave from the Thunder.

Donovan says he makes an attempt daily to text Williams and plans to visit him upon his return to Oklahoma City following the Thunder’s current road trip, which ends March 6. He said they talk very little about basketball.

“It’s hard for me personally because we developed such a close relationship and he’s such a great man,” Donovan said. “We share a lot of common values as it relates to our faith. But for him to go through what he is going through is just hard,” Donovan said.

Donovan’s job got even tougher when Cheeks underwent hip surgery Feb. 17 and was expected to miss six weeks. Cheeks plans to be back at practice when the team returns to Oklahoma City, but it is uncertain when he will return to the bench and travel.

“Mo’s got basically a collapsed hip and he’s recovering from that,” Donovan said.

Mark Daigneault, head coach of Oklahoma City’s NBA Development League affiliate, was subsequently promoted to Donovan’s staff for the rest of the season. Donovan says longtime NBA assistant coach Mark Bryant and first-year NBA assistants Royal Ivey, Anthony Grant and Darko Rajakovic also have picked up the slack on his staff.

It isn’t the first time Donovan has confronted heartbreaking adversity, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

“I had a situation where my wife and I lost a child,” said Donovan, who suffered the loss of a stillborn daughter in 2000. “I have had a situation where my assistant [coaches] have lost children. I’ve had all types of different things. If you are around long enough and around people long enough, different things happen.

“The hard part has not been the basketball part because we have so many people here. The hard part has been the personal relationship part. Two guys, one going through a physical injury, hospitalized, basically trying to get himself back. And the other guy going through the heartache of losing his wife and his kids losing their mother.”

Thunder All-Star forward Kevin Durant has been impressed by how Donovan has persevered.

“That’s tough for anybody, especially veteran assistants, guys you lean on every day,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “But he is doing a good job. He is humble to the point where he wants his players to feel what he is feeling. He wants us to do it as a group collectively as far as schemes or anything.

“He is not stuck in his ways. He wants to change. He wants to make adjustments. So he is learning. We are all learning with him. We are all patient with him. He’s doing a great job.”

The Thunder will be in search of their first victory this season against the host Golden State Warriors in their final meeting Thursday. Warriors second-year coach Steve Kerr credited two veteran assistant coaches – Alvin Gentry, now head coach of the Pelicans, and Ron Adams – in aiding him en route to a championship last season. He understands Donovan’s coaching situation.

“It’s major challenge,” Kerr told Yahoo Sports. “I could only imagine losing Alvin and Ron last year. That’s tough in any circumstance, especially in your first season.”

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