ANN ARBOR -- In April 2016, Northwestern coach Chris Collins called John Beilein with a recommendation.
Hire Billy Donlon.
This month, Collins called Beilein for a second time.
He wanted to hire Billy Donlon.
On Monday, it was made official. In a complex move with many layers, Northwestern formally announced that Donlon will join Collins' staff as an assistant coach.
With that, Donlon is making a unique inter-conference coaching switch and leaving Michigan after one year on Beilein's staff. It's a move, Donlon says, that comes only as a result of extenuating circumstances.
"This was not a professional move," Donlon told MLive on Monday. "Guys make moves to put themselves in position to be a head coach. None of that was the case here. ... I would not have left for any other program."
Most directly, Donlon is going home.
Donlon, 40, grew up in Chicago when his father, Billy Donlon Sr., moved from an assistant coaching position at Providence to a job on Bill Foster's staff at Northwestern in 1987. The elder Donlon coached at the school until 1994, while his son, young Billy, served as a ballboy and grew into one of the better high school players in the Chicagoland area.
As an emerging player, Billy Donlon befriended Chris Collins, one of the best prep players in the country and the son of Chicago Bulls coach Doug Collins. Donlon ultimately transferred to Glenbrook North High School the year after Chris Collins graduated. There, Donlon played for coach Brian James.
Twenty some-odd years later, Collins is now the head coach at Northwestern and James is his assistant. Billy Donlon Sr., meanwhile, is retired and living in Chicago.
For Donlon, the chance to join Collins' staff this offseason and join all the ties that bind boiled down to this: "I didn't know if this opportunity would ever come again."
"This was about my relationships," Donlon told MLive. "Obviously, I have a ton of love for Northwestern, a ton of love for coach Collins and coach James, and my own family is right here."
Michigan, meanwhile, is now left sitting in late June with two open assistant coaching positions. Last week, longtime Beilein assistant Jeff Meyer departed to join LaVall Jordan at Butler.
"We are obviously disappointed to be losing Billy, however, we are happy he has the opportunity to be closer to his family, home and still coach in the Big Ten," Beilein said in a statement. "He is one heck of a coach who has been a great asset to our program over this past year. Over many years, Billy has sacrificed his family for coaching basketball. This time he chose his family first and no one can fault him for that."
Donlon, who earned $205,000 in a one-year contract at U-M last season, was asked Monday if Beilein pushed to retain him.
"Coach was great in the progress and he certainly showed how good of a man he is," Donlon responded.
Regarding Beilein and Collins, Donlon said: "Both handled it with an incredible amount of class and integrity."
"It was all done the right way," Donlon added. "This was all done the way it's supposed to be done in this profession."
In Donlon's one year at Michigan, the program finished 26-12 and reached the Sweet 16. He was credited throughout the postseason by Beilein for improving the Wolverines' maligned defense. U-M finished the year ranked 70th in the country in defensive efficiency (99.3) but steadily improved through the season, notably in its perimeter defense.
Beilein hired Donlon in April 2016 after Donlon was fired at Wright State. Donlon went 109-94 in six seasons at the school, reaching three conference championship games in the Horizon League, but was unable to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Donlon retreated to Chicago after losing his job. There, he spent long days with Collins and James trying to figure out his next move. Collins called Beilein, among others, to recommend that he hire Donlon. It mostly went without saying that Collins would hire Donlon himself, if he had an opening.
Of the relationship between Donlon and Collins, James told MLive in March: "They're very similar and they're extremely close. Billy uses Chris for guidance. He's a bit like Chris' little brother. They bounce ideas off each other."
This offseason, Collins got his chance to make that hire.
"It's an incredibly unique situation," Donlon said.
This whole chain of events began June 5. Ohio State and Thad Matta parted ways, sending off a seismic change through the coaching ranks.
No place has been hit as hard as Michigan.
Butler coach Chris Holtmann ultimately replaced Matta at Ohio State. Butler then hired former Michigan assistant LaVall Jordan from Milwaukee. Milwaukee then turned to Northwestern assistant coach Patrick Baldwin to take its head-coaching position.
This is where Donlon was pulled into the mix. In considering going to Milwaukee, Baldwin called Donlon to ask about life as a head coach in the Horizon League. He and Baldwin go way back. Baldwin was recruited as a player to Northwestern in the 90s by none other than Billy Donlon Sr. and years later the younger Billy Donlon tried to hire Baldwin as an assistant.
So the two talked.
At the end of the conversation, Baldwin bounced a question off Donlon.
"He asked me if I'd have interest in coming home and replacing him," Donlon said. "That was the first time the thought even crossed my mind."
According to Donlon, after Baldwin accepted the Milwaukee job, Collins called Beilein and requested permission to speak to Donlon. Beilein agreed and rest of the dominos fell.
"It was really difficult, in terms of the finality of it," Donlon said. "John Beilein is one of the best coaches to ever do this. The track record speaks for itself. He was incredible to work for."
Now two new assistants will have the opportunity.
"We have had very talented coaching staffs during my time here," Beilein said in Monday's statement. "That will not change. We have always embraced sudden change and have gotten better from it. I am excited to have this opportunity to bring in two new assistants who will bring us even more success in the future."
Those candidates are expected to include current U-M director of player personnel Chris Hunter and current Le Moyne head coach Patrick Beilein, among others.
"He lost two phenomenal assistants two years ago in LaVall Jrodan and Bacari Alexander and what did he do?" Donlon said. "He hired two new guys and went and won a Big Ten Tournament championship, went to the Sweet 16 and was one possession from going to the Elite Eight."
At Northwestern, Donlon is joining a program coming off its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Collins has turned the long-dormant Wildcats into a Big Ten contender and last year's team is returning nearly intact for 2017-18.
As for Donlon, back home in Chicago, he plans to share a house with his father. The two lived together in Dayton when Donlon coached at Wright State and Billy Donlon Sr. served as his directory of basketball operations. The two leaned on each other. Billy Donlon's ex-wife and daughter live in North Carolina, while Maryann Donlon -- Billy Sr.'s wife and Billy Jr.'s mother -- died in September 2010 after a nine-year battle with cancer. A father-son relationship, along with basketball, has seen the two through some hard times.
Another one came when both Donlon men were fired in one fell swoop at Wright State. Seeing his father lose his job and opt to retire as a result of his firing as head coach is a misdeed that has never sat right with Billy Donlon.
Now the two can meet at Northwestern. Billy Donlon Sr. has an open invite for practices.
"I know this past year was hardest on him -- not being in the gym, not being around players," Billy Donlon said. "This really was a family decision."