Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan stepped down from his role with the Eastern Conference team following the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season. The Basketball Hall of Fame coach’s motive for the move was the firing of Bulls front office members Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.
Among the multiple teams that have head coaching vacancies in the NBA, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints links Billy Donovan with the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans parted ways with Willie Green at the beginning of the 2025-26 regular season. James Borrego stepped in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Siegel believes that the Orlando Magic will be another team eyeing Billy Donovan if they part ways with current head coach Jamahl Mosley following their postseason run.
Billy Donovan’s Head Coaching Resume
Billy Donovan began his head coaching career in 1994, becoming the main guy at Marshall University after serving as an assistant coach under Rick Pitino at Kentucky. He led the Thundering Herd to its earliest times of success, posting a 35-20 record over two seasons.
Donovan would then be named the head coach of the Florida Gators. This stint resulted in one of the greatest runs in college basketball history for a head coach.
In 19 seasons with the Gators, Donovan helped push Florida to four Final Four appearances in 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2014. This included back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He’s the winningest coach in Florida history, posting a 467-185 record over 19 seasons.
After becoming one of the top coaches in college basketball, Billy Donovan would elect to test out the NBA. He was named the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015. From 2015 to 2020, the Thunder would have a 243-157 record and make the playoffs in all five seasons under Donovan.
After his stint with the Thunder, the Chicago Bulls hired Donovan. He spent six seasons with the team from 2020 to 2026, finishing with a 226-256 record. The Bulls made one playoff appearance under Donovan in 2022, along with multiple Play-In Tournament bids.
More Details on Billy Donovan Stepping Down as Bulls Head Coach
Although Billy Donovan struck out on the North Carolina job, the Hall of Fame coach was questioning the future of the Chicago Bulls. This resulted in Donovan moving on from the franchise.
“The Bulls’ lack of direction and potential moving forward played a direct role in Donovan wanting a clean break to focus on his future in coaching,” Brett Siegel wrote.
“We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach – that was never in question,” Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in the team’s statement on Billy Donovan. “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.”
Chicago fired vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley before the end of the 2025-26 regular season. The new front office members who will be hired later this offseason will be in the search for a new head coach as well.
The New Orleans Pelicans are in search of their next leader, making Billy Donovan a top prospect. New Orleans finished with a 26-56 record in 2025-26, missing the playoffs for the second-straight season.
Billy Donovan Linked to Western Conference Team After Stepping Down From Bulls Job