NBA

Billy Donovan steps down as Bulls head coach

April 6, 2026 marked a new era for the Bulls.

On that day, the Bulls fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley, thus ending a six-year stagnation under the two front office leaders. Chicago did not, however, dismiss Donovan alongside Karnisovas and Eversley, signaling that a rebuild would include the veteran head coach.

Those plans are no more.

This breakup was initiated by Donovan, but you shouldn’t feel bad for the Bulls. Now, Chicago can conduct its search for a new head of basketball operations unencumbered. Donovan wasn’t exactly a hinderance — he’s a well-respected basketball mind — but starting fresh isn’t the worst thing in the world for the franchise. After all, a long, tedious and potentially painful rebuild is in order, and doing so with a new regime is typically a favored method.

The prospects surrounding Donovan’s next move are fascinating. The former Florida head coach was connected to the North Carolina job, but Michael Malone — another former NBA head coach — accepted it before Donovan became available. Conventional wisdom now suggests that he’ll sit out a year before coaching again, though it’s hard to discern the likelihood of anything in this situation.

One thing we do know, at least for now, is that a rebuild is officially on in Chicago.

I remember the Baby Bulls from the mid-2000s, featuring Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler. Those teams grew up fast — a sign that teardowns sometimes aren’t quite as miserable as they appear.

Chicago can be good again soon. It’ll just require a lot of losses first.