Billy Donovan's wife is Christine D'Auria. Donovan is preparing for his fifth season as the head coach for the Chicago Bulls. He coached previously in the NBA for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Most of his success as a coach has come at the collegiate level, winning back-to-back National championships with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. He served as coach at the University of Florida from 1996 to 2015. All his coaching success helped Donovan amass a net worth of $18 million.
He was born in Rockville Centre, N.Y. and played basketball at St. Agnes Cathedral High School. Donovan was the starting point guard for the Providence Friars and led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four.
He is one of only four men to appear in the NCAA Final Four as a player and win the championship as a coach. After college, the Utah Jazz drafted Donovan with the 68th overall pick in the 1987 draft. His career didn't pan out with Utah, but he played briefly with the New York Knicks but eventually retired from playing professionally in 1989.
This wasn't the only change in his life in 1989, as that same summer he married the love of his life. Let's meet the rock of his family, Billy Donovan's wife, Christine D'Auria.
Who is Christine D'Auria?
D'Auria was born in Port Washington, N.Y. She went to Providence College and majored in general and social studies. Christine was a fourth-grade teacher.
After graduating from Providence, she got her master's in elementary education from the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. D'Auria's personal life is kept relatively private, so this is all we know about it.
Billy Donovan, Christine D'Auria's relationship
The Donovans grew up 20 minutes apart on Long Island, Billy in Rockville Centre and Christine in Port Washington. However, they did not know each other.
At Providence College, they both majored in general social studies. They had mutual friends but were seldom together. The mutual friends eventually united them.
In May 1988, they sat at the same table at the wedding of their friends. They talked. He asked her out, and a little over a year later, in August 1989, they were married on Long Island.
She enjoyed being a surrogate mom to college basketball players.
“You’re a caretaker as a college coach’s wife,” Donovan said. “We would have players to the house for dinner to make sure they were doing OK. When they were sick or got hurt, Christine would check in with them. She was an asset in recruiting. Parents want to see what kind of family the coach has.”
“I am a college coach’s wife,” Christine said. “I loved that.”
As of a profile about the couple from Providence College, the couple's kids are all adults now and also successful individuals. Billy Jr. played college basketball for his father in Florida and married in 2017. As of 2018, he was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs organization in the G-League.
Their daughter Hansbrouch was living in Florida, and was an Orangetheory Fitness coach. She won a National Championship with the equestrian team at Auburn University.
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Bryan was a skilled basketball player, but two knee surgeries in high school hindered his career. In 2018, he played for Rogers Williams University after spending a year with Ed Cooley at Providence College.
Connor went to McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City. She played volleyball and tennis.
Billy Donovan and Christine D'Auria's charitable endeavors
The couple gave a $1 million gift to create one of two basketball practice courts in the new Ruane Friar Development Centre at Providence College. They also invested in the community in Gainesville, where Donovan coached college basketball. They raised approximately $1 million to add 10 classrooms to St. Francis Catholic High School.
Faith is an important aspect of the couple's relationship. “Everything revolves around that,” Billy said. “The more we’re centered in God and our faith, we have a little more internal peace, and we’re more reflective of what God wants us to be.”
D'Auria has been the perfect partner for Donovan as he excelled at the University of Florida. She has kept the family running smoothly as he invests all his time into his work. Nevertheless, this is all we know about Billy Donovan's wife, Christine D'Auria.
