Boston College has announced the death of Bill Donovan, a former standout on its men’s basketball team. Donovan, who was 85 years old, passed away suddenly. The program expressed its condolences to his family and others affected by his loss.
Donovan graduated from Boston College in 1962 and left as the third all-time leading scorer in the school’s men’s basketball history. He was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2000. In addition to his achievements on the court, Donovan served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Originally from Queens, New York, Donovan played three years as a starter for Boston College and was captain during his senior year. He scored 1,012 points over his college career and became only the fourth player at Boston College to surpass 1,000 points at that time. Alongside teammate Jim Hooley, also a Hall of Famer, Donovan helped lead the Eagles to a combined record of 40-29 during his tenure. He averaged 14.5 points per game and was known for his outside shooting ability.
Donovan was married to Joan for 63 years and had three children. His son Billy Donovan is currently coach of the Chicago Bulls and previously coached Providence to an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1987 and led Florida to multiple NCAA tournament appearances including back-to-back championships in 2006-07.
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