Billy Donovan said the arrival of a new front office was the main reason he decided to step down as Chicago Bulls head coach in April. Donovan later joined the San Antonio Spurs in July, after initially expecting to spend the 2026-27 season away from coaching.
Speaking about his decision, Donovan told Olivia Eisenhauer that he believed the incoming Bulls front office needed the freedom to select its own coach.
“I just felt that with a new front office coming in that person should have the freedom to choose their own coach,” Donovan said. “I went in with the impression I was just going to be out for a year.”
Donovan’s departure came after a difficult 2025-26 season in Chicago. The Bulls finished 31-51, 12th in the Eastern Conference and 29 games behind the Detroit Pistons, who posted the conference’s best record at 60-22.
Josh Giddey averaged 17.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds in 54 games, while Matas Buzelis started all 77 games and averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Collin Sexton averaged 17.5 points in 26 games with Chicago, shooting 48.2% from the field and 41.0% from three-point range. Tre Jones contributed 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 55.3% from the field.
