Bulls Sign Coach Billy Donovan to Multiyear Contract Extension

The Chicago Bulls have signed head coach Billy Donovan to a multiyear contract extension, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN. The team confirmed the deal through its public relations staff, per Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson.

Negotiations between Donovan and the Bulls reportedly began late last season and wrapped up this week. Chicago also extended the contracts of executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley, maintaining stability across the front office and coaching staff.

Donovan, 60, owns a 195-205 record in five seasons with the Bulls. His lone playoff appearance came in 2022, when Chicago lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Chicago has since been eliminated in the play-in tournament three years in a row. Despite the lack of postseason success, Donovan continues to have the backing of both ownership and the front office.

The New York Knicks recently expressed interest in interviewing Donovan following their dismissal of Tom Thibodeau, but the Bulls declined. At the time, reports indicated Donovan was “in Chicago to stay.”

A former NCAA champion at Florida, Donovan moved to the NBA in 2015 and went 243-157 in five years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He guided OKC to the playoffs in each of those seasons and was named NBA Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2020 before the two sides parted ways.

Chicago finished 39-43 last season but showed improvement offensively after adopting a faster tempo. The Bulls ranked sixth in the league in scoring at 117.8 points per game and tied for third with 15.4 made threes per contest.

The next item on Chicago’s to-do list is to reach a resolution with restricted free agent Josh Giddey, who remains unsigned.

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