Report: Chicago Bulls express interest in BYU’s Kevin Young for head coach opening

The Chicago Bulls have expressed interest in BYU head coach Kevin Young for their head coach position, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported. They also had early conversations with Young as part of a “wide net” in the search for Billy Donovan’s replacement.

Young just completed his second season at BYU after previously serving as an NBA assistant coach. He was the Phoenix Suns’ associate head coach from 2021-24 after previously serving as an assistant with the franchise from 2020-21. Prior to that, he was with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2016-20.

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BYU made a run to the Sweet Sixteen in Young’s debut season in 2024-25 and fell in the Round of 64 in 2025-26. Last season, he also coached potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa, who arrived in Provo as the top-rated recruit from the 2025 cycle. All told, Young has a 49-22 overall record at BYU.

In addition to his time in the NBA, Kevin Young also coached in the NBA G-League. He was an assistant with the Utah Flash, now known as the Delaware 87ers, from 2007-10 and was the head coach from 2010-11. He then took over as Iowa Energy head coach from 2011-13 before returning to the 87ers. In 2014, he became Delaware’s head coach before getting the call up to the 76ers’ bench.

The Bulls are undergoing a wave of change with a new front office taking over. Bryson Graham is now in charge as executive vice president of basketball operations and continues to build out his staff.

Meanwhile, the coaching search is ongoing after Donovan announced his resignation after the 2025-26 season. The sense was the Bulls wanted to keep the Hall of Fame coach on board after firing EVP Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Donovan had a 226-256 record in his six seasons in Chicago, including the franchise’s last playoff victory in 2022.

The Bulls went 31-51 in 2025-26 and entered the NBA Draft lottery with the ninth-best odds of landing the No. 1 pick. They then jumped up to the No. 4 overall selection, giving them a chance to land one of the top prospects in a deep draft class as Graham starts to build out the roster.