Sports

Billy Donovan has Florida back in the Final Four after arguably his best coaching job

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Florida head coach Billy Donovan runs a drill during practice for their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Friday, April 4, 2014, in Dallas. Florida plays Connecticut on Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (The Associated Press)

Florida head coach Billy Donovan watches a drill during practice for an NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Friday, April 4, 2014, in Dallas. Florida plays Connecticut on Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (The Associated Press)

He was "Billy the Kid" as a college player, then "Billy the Recruiter" as a young coach.

Now, with his fourth team in the Final Four and in the midst of the longest winning streak in school history, maybe Florida coach Billy Donovan should be dubbed "Billy the Builder."

With no surefire NBA lottery picks, Donovan has done arguably his best coaching job in 18 seasons with the Gators.

Florida (36-2) has won 30 consecutive games, including four double-digit victories in the NCAA tournament, and is the odds-on favorite to win a third national championship in the last eight years. The Gators, the top overall seed in the tournament, play Connecticut in the Final Four on Saturday.

And unlike those first two title runs, Donovan is getting credit.