Chicago Bulls Fans Deserve Better—6 Coaching Replacements for Billy Donovan
At some point, the Bulls will have to move on from Billy Donovan. Maybe. Hopefully. But probably not.
I’M A GOOD WORKER, so aside from my ignominious high school-era stint at Irving’s For Red Hot Lovers in Wilmette, IL, I’ve never been fired from a job.
But if I performed any of jobs as badly as Billy Donovan has done his over the last three seasons, I’d have been canned early and often.
I’ll give the guy this — he has a ton of legitimate excuses:
The front office hasn’t given him a balanced roster.
Lonzo Ball’s injuries derailed the team.
The majority of Chicago’s recent draft picks have been busts.
But results are results are results, and three straight sub-.500 seasons that ended in Play-In Tournament bids doth not quality results make.
For reasons that nobody can explain, the Bulls media department has yet to release the details of Donovan’s contract, so we have no clue as to how long we’ll be stuck with him — might be five more years, might be five more days.
If it is indeed five days (fingers crossed), here, in alphabetical order, are six head coaching candidates who will hopefully make the United Center a happier place to be during the 2026-27 seasons.
Because not even Red Auerbach could salvage 2025-26.
Sam Cassell
Coaching Resume
2023-present: Boston Celtics assistant
2020-2023: Philadelphia 76ers assistant
2014-2020: Los Angeles Clippers assistant
2008-2014: Washington Wizards assistant
Why Him?
Every off-season for the past, I dunno, 42 years, Cassell’s name is near the top of everybody’s “Possible NBA Coaches For the Upcoming Season” article, and enough is enough, let’s get the dude a top dog gig.
Save for his tenure with the Wizards, Cassell has worked on winning staffs, he’s been a successful assistant for 15 consecutive years, and he’s 55-years-old, young enough to be cool, and old enough to have the gravitas necessary to command a Bulls locker room that could use some commanding.
Plus he was a solid NBA guard, and the Bulls have about 64 guards on the roster who would benefit from some solidity.
Becky Hammon
Coaching Resume
2022-present: Las Vegas Aces head coach
2014-2021: San Antonio Spurs assistant
Why Her?
Four words: Gregg Popovich coaching tree.
If you’ve spent any significant time on Pop’s staff — and Hammon has done just that — you’re poised for success…as the Hall of Famer has proven in leading her Aces to two of the last three WNBA championships.
If Chicago has the sack to hire her (doubtful), she’ll follow in the footsteps of former Pop disciples Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Mike Brown, and Mike Budenholzer. And those are some damn good footsteps.
Mark Jackson
Coaching Resume
2011-2014: Golden State Warriors head coach
Why Him?
I dig Jackson, but I’m in the minority. But what the majority tends to forget is that when he helmed the Dubs, the New York native compiled a record of 121-109, racking up 51 wins in his third and final season.
That’s a winning percentage of .526.
Billy Donovan’s winning percentage as the Bulls head coach: .488.
That said, the NBA of 2014 is a whole lot different than the NBA of 2025, so would Jackson — who hasn’t coached a single game in over a decade — be able to adapt?
He’s passionate about the sport and he has a fantastic basketball mind, so he’d figure it out.
Taylor Jenkins
Coaching Resume
2019-2025: Memphis Grizzlies head coach
2018-2019: Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach
2013-2018: Atlanta Hawks assistant coach
Why Him?
Until Jenkins sits down for an in-depth interview on 60 Minutes, we’ll never know exactly why the Grizzlies let him go just weeks before Memphis’ playoff run.
Maybe the reason for the firing was over a simple misunderstanding. Maybe it was a personality thing. Maybe the Grizz brass felt it was 55-wins-or-bust.
Regardless, Jenkins has demonstrated that he can make some noise with a mish-mosh roster — e.g., the Grizzlies sans Ja Morant — and Chicago’s roster is about the mishiest and moshiest in the Association.
Mike Malone
Coaching Resume
2015-2025: Denver Nuggets head coach
2013-2015: Sacramento Kings head coach
2011-2013: Golden State Warriors assistant coach
2010-2011: New Orleans Hornets assistant coach
2005-2010: Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach
2003-2005: New York Knicks assistant coach
Why Him?
Unlike the Jenkins situation, the reason behind Malone’s firing was simple: He lost the locker room. But after a decade in Denver, that’s understandable, as it takes a Steve Kerr, a Phil Jackson, or a Gregg Popovich-level chess master to survive as a head coach for more than a decade.
Malone could be Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau 2.0, which is way better than Billy Donovan 1.0.
Steve Nash
Coaching Resume
2020-2022: Brooklyn Nets head coach
Why Him?
Okay, hear me out: Steve Kerr’s first gig with an NBA franchise as a non-player was as GM of the Phoenix Suns. His three years in the desert weren’t awesome.
Steve Nash’s first gig with an NBA franchise as a non-player was as HC of the Brooklyn Nets, which also wasn’t awesome.
So it’s possible — just possible — that Nash’s second time around would be a vast improvement. He’s charismatic, he knows the game as well as anyone, and his combination of Canadian kindness and American intensity might get the Bulls beyond the Play-In.