Chicago Bulls Hire Tiago Splitter as Head Coach

The Chicago Bulls hired Tiago Splitter as head coach on June 15, 2026. Splitter, 41, replaces Billy Donovan and takes over after serving as interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Splitter guided Portland to a 42-40 record and a postseason berth as the No.

7 seed in the Western Conference. He became the first Trail Blazers head coach to post a winning record in his first season since Maurice Cheeks in 2001-02 and the first to win a playoff game in his debut season since Mike Dunleavy in 1997-98. The Trail Blazers posted a top-10 defense in their final 51 regular-season games under Splitter, finishing 30-21 in that stretch.

Portland also led the NBA in second-chance points per game during his tenure. Forward Deni Avdija emerged as a first-time NBA All-Star under Splitter. Bulls executive vice president Bryson Graham said Splitter stood apart for his basketball intellect, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete every single night.

Graham added that Splitter has won at every level of the game as both a player and a coach, on multiple continents, and that his vision fits the Bulls' young roster. Top Bulls officials, including Graham, met with four finalists last week in Chicago: Splitter, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt, and current Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.

The search spanned a double-digit number of candidates before narrowing to those four.

Splitter played seven NBA seasons and won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs. After retiring, he joined the Brooklyn Nets as a scout and player development staff member in 2018. He spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant with the Houston Rockets under Ime Udoka and served as head coach of Paris Basketball in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season before becoming Chauncey Billups' lead assistant in Portland.