Bulls coaching candidates (Steve Kerr?) after Billy Donovan's exit

TL;DR

Billy Donovan has stepped down as head coach of the Chicago Bulls after six seasons. The team is now seeking potential coaching candidates to replace him.

Key points

Billy Donovan stepped down as head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
He struggled to improve the team's performance during his six seasons.
The Bulls are now looking for suitable coaching candidates.

Mentioned in this story

Billy Donovan

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls saw coach Billy Donovan step down from his role as head coach on Monday after six seasons.

Donovan is an accomplished coach who struggled in his Chicago tenure to get the Bulls permanently out of the NBA's basement. As he departs, the Bulls will have to try and find a suitable replacement.

Who could Chicago target? The Bulls' maligned ownership situation might be a tough sell for some coaching candidates, but it's a legacy franchise with a statue of Michael Jordan outside its arena. Someone would take the job and convince themselves they can revive the Bulls to its primetime glories. Who could it be?

Let's run through a quick list of candidates that make sense to us. This isn't exhaustive; just a fun thought exercise.

Steve Kerr

Okay, think about it. Kerr played with the Michael Jordan Bulls before turning into one of the best NBA coaches of his generation. With his Golden State Warriors tenure in flux, could Kerr return to Chicago and help resurrect the Bills from the doldrums of mediocrity? Kerr would have to want to do that, obviously, but we feel like the Bulls should move heaven and earth to get Kerr back in the fold if the Warriors decide to move on. It just makes too much sense... for the Bulls. For Kerr? We're guessing he could do better... but you never know!

Chip Engelland

Engelland is one of the most accomplished assistant coaches of his generation. He coached under Greg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs from 2005-2022 before joining Mark Daigneault with the soaring Oklahoma City Thunder. Where Engelland goes, his teams win at least one NBA title. If Chicago wants a proven veteran coach who hasn't yet gotten a chance at the main job, Engelland would be a strong hire on paper the Bulls could lean on.