Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan quits as major rebuild looms

Donovan was considered a top candidate when the Bulls hired him in September 2020, shortly after Karnisovas and Eversley took their roles.

Under his leadership, Chicago made a single playoff appearance in the 2021-22 season, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference before being eliminated by Milwaukee in the first round. The team subsequently lost in the play-in tournament for the next three consecutive years.

Despite this, Donovan received a contract extension last offseason, with Michael Reinsdorf attributing the team's issues to roster construction rather than the coach.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael's father, commended Donovan for the "class and genuine care" he brought to the organization.

Jerry Reinsdorf hailed Donovan following his departure (Getty)

"We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question," Jerry Reinsdorf said. "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."

The previous front office, led by Karnisovas, faced criticism for its inability to secure a franchise cornerstone player and its reluctance to rebuild.

A shift in strategy occurred before this year’s trade deadline, involving trades that saw Nikola Vucevic move to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte, and Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota.

These deals primarily yielded second-round draft picks, with no first-rounders in return.

One player acquired, Jaden Ivey from Detroit, was later waived by Chicago following anti-LGBTQ+ comments he made in videos posted on his Instagram account.