Billy Donovan has stepped down as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the franchise announced Tuesday.
The Bulls are coming off a 31-51 season in Donovan’s sixth year in Chicago, a tenure in which the team went 226-252. The 60-year-old Donovan has a 469-413 career record across 11 seasons with the Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his time with the Bulls, the team made just one playoff appearance, a first-round exit in 2022.
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“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 said Tuesday. “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.”
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Chicago recorded only one winning season in Donovan’s tenure, and the franchise has not had a 50-win season since 2014-15, the final year of the Tom Thibodeau era. Donovan signed an extension with the franchise in June 2025 after the Bulls reached the Play-In Tournament for three consecutive seasons. At the time of the extension, the New York Knicks reportedly pursued Donovan for their coaching vacancy, but the Bulls declined the Knicks’ interview request, per multiple reports.
Before leaping to the NBA with Oklahoma City in 2015, Donovan spent 20 years coaching in the college ranks. He led Florida to two NCAA titles and 467 wins, making him the winningest coach in school history, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.
“Billy Donovan is one of the finest people and coaches I have had the privilege of knowing and working with,” Jerry Reinsdorf, the Bulls’ principal owner, said Tuesday. “He brought class and genuine care to this organization that made a real impact on people.
“We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question. But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new Head of Basketball Operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organization.”
This story will be updated.