Pond Birds: Gator Basketball-The Whole Story from the Inside - Paperback

by Bill Koss (Author)

The history of the University of Florida basketball program from its beginnings to the arrival of Billy Donovan, told by a former player and longtime Gator sports analyst

In the 1960s, the University of Florida football players began calling the long-legged Gator basketball players "pond birds." Bill Koss was one of them. In Pond Birds, Koss tells the definitive story of Florida Gators men's basketball from the program's modest beginnings in 1916, through decades of highs and lows that included 55 years without an SEC conference title, and into the pivotal years leading up to the onset of Billy Donovan's transformative tenure in 1996.

Koss takes a deep dive into the moments and personalities that shaped the program, such as the fiery leadership of coach Norm Sloan and the steady, strategic approach of Lon Kruger. Stories of recruitment efforts, both failed and successful, and the arrival of Gatorade make this book both a sports history and a cultural snapshot of college athletics in a bygone era. For diehard Gator fans and college basketball enthusiasts of all allegiances, Pond Birds is a reminder that greatness is built over time with perseverance. Now that Florida basketball has three national championships, Pond Birds invites readers to appreciate the journey from Point A to Point B--and leaves them eager for the next chapter.

Author Biography

Bill Koss was a starting center for the Florida Gators from 1963 to 1965. After serving the team as an assistant coach from 1966 to 1972, he became a radio and television commentator for various outlets, including Sun Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN. In 2008 he was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he was named an Allstate SEC Basketball Legend.