From Billy Donovan’s staff at Florida to NBA All-Star Game coach: Inside Mark Daigneault’s rise

SAN FRANCISCO — Mark Daigneault arrived at the University of Florida 15 years ago in search of a master’s degree without any guarantees of a job while on campus.

Billy Donovan, now head coach of the Chicago Bulls, was near the tail end of his legendary run in Gainesville, Fla., having led the Gators to back-to-back NCAA championships. Three of his assistants, Larry Shyatt, Rob Lanier and Richard Pitino, departed that offseason. Donovan backfilled those spots with experienced candidates but needed extra help within the program. One of his best friends, Providence College teammate Ryan Ford, had become close with Daigneault during their time coaching together at Holy Cross. He linked the two. Donovan essentially hired Daigneault as a low-level staffer who, per NCAA rules, wasn’t even allowed on the court during practice.

“He just started kind of as a volunteer,” Donovan said. “Just did a lot of different projects. Practice plans. Did film work with individual players. He just worked his tail off.”

That, more than anything, is the spark that delivered Daigneault — the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, the current coach of the league-best 44-10 Oklahoma City Thunder and the still relative unknown who will step into an extra burst of spotlight this weekend as an All-Star coach — to this increasingly incredible stage. He’s already considered one of the NBA’s best head coaches a couple of weeks shy of his 40th birthday.

Daigneault likes to tell people that if you replayed his life 100 times, this outcome only happens once.

The Thunder was still in its infant Oklahoma City days back then. General manager Sam Presti had just nailed the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden picks in three consecutive drafts. Bradley Beal was one of the next high-level prospects on Presti and the Thunder’s radar. So, Presti spent a bunch of time in Gainesville scouting both Beal and, as it turned out, a Florida program that impressed him.

Oliver Winterbone, who now represents Donovan and Daigneault at Wasserman after five years in the Thunder front office, was a Florida staffer back then, intent on making the jump to the NBA. Every time Presti came to town, Winterbone set up a time to meet for coffee, a meal or a quick conversation. Daigneault joined when he could, never dreaming of an NBA future but always curious about Presti’s perspective on leadership, culture-building, the industry or whatever else. Daigneault often took handwritten notes. The two Massachusetts natives connected.

In April 2015, Presti made the seismic choice to hire Donovan away from Florida, replacing Scott Brooks for what would be Durant’s final season with the Thunder, an earthquake shake-up in the coaching community.

Eight months prior, in August 2014, Presti had already hired away Winterbone and Daigneault from Florida, bringing Winterbone into the front office and tapping Daigneault as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s G League affiliate. It can now be considered among Presti’s more impactful master strokes, considering Daigneault’s decade-long rise to the top of the profession.

Daigneault was initially hesitant to accept. His future wife, Ashley Kerr, was a gymnastics coach at Florida. They were settling into Gainesville. The G League wasn’t as glamorous or respected as it would become, but Presti’s nudging and belief was enough. He’d just elevated Darko Rajaković (the current Toronto Raptors head coach) into a full-time NBA assistant. There was a path to develop and ascend in the organization.

Alex Caruso was on Daigneault’s third G League team. He remembers Daigneault preaching much of the same day-to-day habits then as he does now. They remained close enough over the years that they’d grab dinner when in the same city.

What strikes Caruso most is the continuity. After his NBA career exploded with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls the last several seasons, he rejoined the Thunder as a high-profile trade acquisition this past summer and signed a four-year extension. Upon return, he noticed the same faces in elevated positions.

“Our assistant coach, David Akinyooye, was my film guy, my chart guy during my time with the Blue,” Caruso said. “Kevin Hyde, one of our strength coaches, was our strength coach in the G. Wilson (Taylor), our equipment manager, has been here for the longest time. That’s part of the organization’s philosophy. They find people that fit how they want to attack each day in their version of excellence in the workplace and promote them.”

The G League season starts later and doesn’t stretch as long as the NBA’s. So, Daigneault, during his five-year head coaching stint with the Blue, served as a de facto assistant for the Thunder during the playoffs and training camp. That freed him to watch postseason games during the Durant and Westbrook days in the back with Presti, picking his brain.

Tragedy struck in February 2016. Monty Williams’ wife died in a car crash near the Thunder’s arena. Williams, then Donovan’s lead assistant, stepped away from the team. Daigneault was elevated to a temporary assistant as that Thunder team advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

Daigneault received a full-time elevation to the Thunder’s bench before the 2019-20 season, the same time Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort joined the franchise. Daigneault was an influential voice in the team’s developmental plan.

“My first day in OKC, my first workout was with Coach Mark,” Dort said. “He told me about his path. That was really the first coach I got to know. As a young player, that small stuff matters.”

Dort gave an example. He was undrafted and out of the rotation for more than a month during his rookie season. But in early December, during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, his number was finally called for an NBA debut.

“Billy was the head coach, but Mark was the first one that came and grabbed me on the bench,” Dort said. “He’s been real with me from the get-go. For some reason, I remember that moment. It’s so weird. I wonder if he was the one who told (Donovan), ‘Yo, let’s try Lu.’ I still don’t know to this day.”

Luguentz Dort and Mark Daigneault (David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)

The Thunder hit fast forward on its rebuild that summer, trading away Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder and handing the keys to a young Gilgeous-Alexander. Donovan and the Thunder parted ways. He landed in Chicago.

Chris Paul remembered Presti calling him that summer as OKC mulled its next hire. Presti asked Paul his opinion on Daigneault, and Paul gave a thumbs-up. In his lone season with the Thunder, he was impressed with Daigneault’s acumen.

Presti told a story about Daigneault at a 2022 news conference. Presti used to tag along for one Blue road trip every season, and during this particular story, he was at a Best Western in Sioux Falls, S.D. Jannero Pargo was the NBA veteran on the team. Daniel Hamilton was the younger prospect. Presti was with both at a sports bar.

“They were talking, and, somehow, Mark came up,” Presti said. “Jannero said, ‘Hey, you’d better listen to Mark. He is going to be an NBA coach one day.’ That was years ago, and that was my first time I was like, ‘So, he sees what I see. OK.’ ”

Presti hired Daigneault as head coach of the Thunder in November 2020. They didn’t win much during his first two seasons, but those on the inside of the growth process — Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Daigneault, others — will say that the adaptability, culture and style of play that sprouted into a contender was cultivated back then. Other coaches took notice.

“I liked the humility on the sidelines, the patience that he showed when they were going through it,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who struck up a friendship with Daigneault. “I liked the fact that the organization was really wedded to him and gave him all the support he needed. I just think the way OKC handled things, the way Mark handled things, you could see they were building something for the long haul. I like the way they went about their business, and I like the way Mark goes about his business.”

Dort said he was pumped to learn that Daigneault was taking over the head job. He didn’t have a conversation with Presti about it, but it was his preferred outcome. Dort said he didn’t know Daigneault’s tactical acumen until he saw him in the head seat.

“This is going to sound a little selfish, but I remember my career high in Utah a couple of years ago,” Dort said. “I was going early, and then, he just drew like three or four different plays for me to get the ball. And it was all different, and it all worked. And I was like, ‘S—. yeah, he’s actually crazy with it.’”

Daigneault will spend the weekend in San Francisco as the All-Star head coach representative for the West. When he returns to his normal duties, his Thunder are eight games better than the next-closest conference competitor, a near lock to clinch the conference’s top seed for a second straight season.

“It’s crazy how life works,” Donovan said. “I remember when he was sitting there, and we were having camp (at Florida), and he’s waiting to meet me. He’s 24, 25 years old, just wants a job, and he’s willing to work for free. And if you just said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be an NBA head coach and coaching the All-Star game.’ Nobody would’ve believed that, right? So, I just think it speaks to him and the people in Oklahoma City and the players and his staff. I’m just really happy for him because he’s a great guy.”

(Top photo of Daigneault: Soobum Im / Getty Images)