Bulls Coach Billy Donovan Steps Down

Billy Donovan stepped down as Chicago Bulls coach on April 21, ending a six-season run with the franchise. (nba.com) The Bulls said Donovan is “stepping away” after talks with ownership, and ESPN reported he held a contract option for next season before choosing to leave. (nba.com) (espn.com) Donovan went 226-256 in Chicago from 2020-21 through 2025-26, with one playoff appearance in 2022 and a 31-51 record this season. (nba.com) His exit lands in the middle of a wider reset. The Chicago Tribune reported the Bulls had already dismissed top basketball executives, leaving both the front office and bench in flux. (chicagotribune.com) Donovan said he wanted to “allow the search process to unfold” and let a new basketball leader build the staff, according to the team statement and NBC Chicago’s report on his message. (nba.com) (nbcchicago.com) That makes this less like an in-season firing and more like a coordinated handoff. Team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said Donovan brought “class and genuine care” to the organization, while the Bulls said ownership wanted him to remain in the job. (nba.com) (espn.com) Chicago hired Donovan on September 22, 2020, after his five-season run with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He arrived as the Bulls’ 24th head coach and one of the first major hires of the team’s previous front-office overhaul. (nba.com) (usatoday.com) The résumé that brought him to Chicago was already strong: 243-157 with Oklahoma City, five straight playoff trips there, and two national titles at Florida. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2025. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The twist is that the Bulls and Donovan had agreed to a contract extension in July 2025, after his fifth season. Nine months later, both sides are moving on as the franchise starts another search. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) What comes next is straightforward: Chicago needs a new top basketball executive and a new coach, and Donovan leaves with the team saying the decision was his. After six seasons, the Bulls are back at the same question that brought him in — who gets to shape the next version of the franchise. (chicagotribune.com) (nba.com)