The Chicago Bulls and long-time coach Billy Donovan are parting ways, the team revealed Tuesday. Despite a 31-51 finish this season, the Bulls wanted Donovan back, but the veteran coach had an option in his contract for next season and decided to step away from the organization.
“After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls to allow the search process to unfold,” Donovan reported in a statement. “I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit. My gratitude for this community and this organization is permanent. Thank you, Jerry (Reinsdorf) and Michael (Reinsdof0 for giving me this opportunity and more importantly, for the relationship that has been forged. I was so blessed to be able to work with such great owners. I owe so much to my players and staff over the last six years. You have all worked side by side with me, day in and day out to drive the Bulls organization forward. And a huge thank you to Bulls fans, your energy, passion and unwavering support provided a home-court advantage that is generally unmatched around the league.”
Donovan still has interest in coaching elsewhere, per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, but it’s unclear when or where Donovan will return to the sidelines.
This is the recent major change for the Bulls, who also fired executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley earlier this month. Now, the Bulls will have to fill three key positions this offseason as they try to turn their fortunes around.
What went wrong for Donovan?
Donovan finished with a 226-256 record and is now fourth on the Bulls’ all-time wins list, but he only had one winning season and made just one playoff appearance. That was in 2022, when the Bulls were eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
Donovan’s record and lack of playoff success in Chicago say more about the rosters he had to work with than his ability as a coach. After all, he won two NCAA national championships at Florida and made the playoffs in all five seasons in charge of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Bulls’ notoriously cheap ownership has only paid the luxury tax twice in franchise history — they last did so in 2015 — but also demands to be competitive. It’s impossible to win if you won’t pay for stars and also refuse to tank so you can draft them.
You could argue that Donovan could have done a bit more, but what’s really the difference between a Play-In Tournament exit and a first-round exit? Once Lonzo Ball hurt his knee — an injury he never truly recovered from — and the front office decided to persist with a DeMar DeRozan-Zach LaVine-Nikola Vučević core, there was only so much Donovan could do.
Where do the Bulls go from here?
Donovan’s decision to step down is ultimately a win for the Bulls even though he’s still a solid coach. As he noted in his statement, the organization will now have a chance for a completely fresh start, rather than hiring a new front office with a coach already in place — an order of operations that rarely works.
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The first step for the Bulls should be to hire replacements for Karnišovas and Eversley. Once they have their basketball operations department sorted, the new front office should then embark on a coaching search to find a candidate who will fit their vision. That makes it hard to make any sort of predictions about the Bulls’ next coach.
But what about the front office? There are clear pros and cons for anyone interested in running the Bulls. The team will have plenty of cap space this summer, they own all of their future first-round picks, have a lottery selection in this year’s draft and the job has historically come with plenty of security. On the other hand, the Reinsdorfs don’t want to spend and don’t want to tank, and the Bulls don’t have a clear No. 1 guy to build around.
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Some of the ownership and roster questions may hinder their search, but ultimately, there are only so many of these jobs to go around and the Bulls are a marquee franchise. Anyone who could return the team to its glory days would be a hero in the city.
What’s next for Donovan?
Donovan, 60, has proven himself on the collegiate, professional and international levels. In fact, he’s already been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2025). He is not ready to retire just yet, though.
Donovan still has interest in coaching but when and where remains to be seen.
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Earlier this spring, Donovan emerged as a leading candidate for the University of North Carolina job, but he declined their advances and the Tar Heels ended up hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone. Donovan would have plenty of options if he wants to return to the college ranks for the 2026-27 season, including possible vacancies at Kentucky, Kansas or even a return to Florida. That reported, his NBA days are not necessarily over. He is still a “viable target,” according to ESPN, if and when more professional jobs open up later this summer. For now, the Bucks and Pelicans are officially open, while Steve Kerr’s future with the Warriors is unclear.
