Former Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has agreed to become lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Donovan, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, stepped down in April after six seasons with the Bulls and his 11th straight as an NBA head coach.
Chicago was 31-51 and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season, and the Bulls said they wanted Donovan to return, but he did not exercise the clause in his contract for next season.
“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 in a statement on April 21. “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.”
Donovan, 61, had been speculated as a candidate to helm the New York Knicks when that job was open before the 2025-26 season as well as making a return to the college ranks at the University of North Carolina this past season. Instead, he said he would fulfill his contractual commitment to the Bulls.
His next post will reportedly be the Spurs. Under Mitch Johnson in his first full season as head coach, San Antonio went 62-20 in the regular season, won the Western Conference crown and lost in five games in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks.
Donovan has an overall NBA coaching record of 469-413 (.532) in the regular season and 19-27 in the playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-20) and Bulls (2020-26).
He was voted the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year in the 2019-20 season, when the Thunder went 44-28 (.611) in the regular season. He finished third in the NBA Coach of the Year voting that season.
Donovan was 502-206 (.709) as a college coach at Marshall (1994-96) and Florida (1996-2015), guiding the latter to four NCAA Final Fours and championships in 2006 and 2007.
–Field Level Media
