William John Donovan Jr., popularly known as Billy Donovan, is the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He has been married to Christine D’Auria for 35 years now.
Born on May 30, 1965, Donovan started as a Providence College basketball player.
Then, from 1996 to 2015, he switched careers and became the head basketball coach at the University of Florida.
Donovan transitioned to the NBA when he became head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015.
Billy Donovan and His Wife, Christine, Met Each Other During College Days!
Billy Donovan and Christine D’Auria were both students at Providence College and have been together since May 1988, after meeting through a mutual friend.
Both of them majored in general and social studies at the Providence College.
The couple got married on August 5, 1989 in Long Island, a year after they met.
Born on 1964, Christine is the daughter of father, Anthony J. D’Auria and mother, Patricia Ann Connor D’Auria.
She is the descendant of the Hasbrouck family, a notable family with historical significance.
Christine D’Auria graduated from Long Island University’s C.W. Post campus with a master’s degree in elementary education.
D’Auria has also majored in social studies and general education at Providence College.
Alongside Billy Donovan, Christine has been active in charitable endeavors outside of her teaching career.
One of their children, named Jacqueline was delivered stillborn in 2000. After the tragic incident, Donovan became involved in several children’s charities and helped raise funds for a children’s hospital in Gainesville.
They supported neighborhood initiatives, such as raising almost $1 million to expand St. Francis Catholic High School’s classrooms.
Regarding this, Christine said.
“We are reaching out to all the Catholic community — Queen of Peace, St. Patrick’s, Holy Faith as well as the corporate world and Gator fans — people who believe in the benefits of a good education.”
Source: Gainesville.com
Other than that, the couple also contributed $1 million to build a basketball practice court at the Ruane Friar Development Centre.
Christine was also featured as a guest on The Pioneer Woman with Ree Drummond and Nina Westbrook in March 2018.
The Couple Have Four Kids Together
Billy and Christine have four children: William Donovan III, Hasbrouck Anne, Bryan, and Connor.
William Donovan III, their eldest son was born on February 10th, 1992.
They have 2 daughters, Hasbrouck Anne Donovan born on 1994 and Connor Donovan born on 2002.
Bryan Donovan was born on 1997.
All of the kids have followed in their parents’ footsteps, regarding college and sports.
(Source: The US Sun)
Their oldest son played basketball and ultimately became a coach, just like his father.
After transferring from Catholic University to Florida, he joined his father’s squad as a reserve guard.
At the University of Florida, William even played basketball under his father, Billy.
On March 23, 2016, he became the head coach for the Saint Francis High School basketball team.
After that, he worked as an assistant coach for the Austin Spurs in the G-League and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA under his father.
Recently, he was hired as the Windy City Bulls’ head coach on June 5, 2024.
On the other hand, Hasbrouck Anne, their second child won a national championship in Equestrian which is related to horse riding.
She also graduated from University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences.
Whereas, Connor and Bryan study at the Providence College.
Bryan, their youngest played for Bishop McGuiness High School’s basketball squad. He also played basketball for Nike Team Florida and Thunderstruck.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Donovan is a Roman Catholic.
- During his tenure at University of Florida, his team Florida Gator won NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007.
- Donovan’s estimated net worth is $15 million.
