The head men’s basketball coach for eight years, his teams were regular participants in the NIT (1957-1960). He also took the Bonnies to their first NCAA Tournament in 1961.
Donovan finished his career with an overall record of 139-57. His .709 winning percentage is second overall for men’s basketball coaches.
Donovan left St. Bonaventure in 1961 to become Head Coach (1961-64) and General Manager (1964-70) of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New York Knicks. As GM, Donovan brought players like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and Bill Bradley to the Knicks, building the team that was to win NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973.
In 1970, Donovan left to become the general manager of the NBA’s Buffalo Braves (1970-75), where he was named the NBA “Executive of the Year” for the 1973-74 season.
In 1975, he returned to the New York Knicks as general manager (1975-1982) and later vice president/director of player personnel (1982-86).
In 1986, Donovan returned once again to his alma mater, where he was appointed assistant to the president for institutional advancement. He has since devoted himself to the many duties of the position at the Franciscan University.
