Tiago Splitter will be the Bulls‘ next head coach, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
It’s a hiring that affects two organizations. Splitter served as the Trail Blazers’ interim coach throughout the season due to Chauncey Billups’ ongoing legal woes and subsequent extended leave of absence.
Splitter was also reportedly a finalist to have the interim tagremoved and become Portland’s head coach. He’ll now take over an Eastern Conference club that has been stuck in mediocrity for over a decade. Chicago hasn’t even reached the conference semifinals since the 2014/15 season.
Thrust into a difficult situation, Splitter showed his leadership skills and ability to prepare his team as Portland finished with a 42-40 record and defeated Phoenix in the play-in tournament. The Blazers were knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champion Spurs in the opening round 4-1.
As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network points out (Twitter link), that wasn’t Splitter’s first head coaching experience. He led Paris Basketball to the French Cup, LNB Elite title and a EuroLeague playoff berth as head coach in 2024/25. He also served as an assistant coach with the Nets and Rockets before joining Billups’ staff.
According to Charania, new Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham and his front office staff met with four finalists for the head coaching job last week in Chicago. Along with Splitter, they interviewed Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt and current Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
They chose Splitter due to his ability to lead the team’s player development, organizational alignment on the franchise’s direction and vision, and his leadership and knowledge base as a coach. He replaces Billy Donovan, who stepped down after the season.
Chicago’s staff is obviously hoping that Splitter can facilitate the development of the team’s young core that includes Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and last season’s lottery pick, Noa Essengue. The Bulls also have the No. 4 pick in next week’s draft and the No. 15 selection, ironically acquired in a trade with the Trail Blazers.
Nori and Schmidt are reportedly the other finalists for Portland’s head coaching job. Whether the Blazers choose one or the other, or add another candidate to the list, remains to be seen.
Dana Gauruder contributed to this story.
