標籤: Billy

Billy Donovan walked away from the Chicago Bulls after six seasons, and the coaching market is already taking notice. Their coaching job is not done and with several jobs open across the league, the next few weeks could be very interesting.

According to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, speaking on 104.3 The Score’s Mulally & Hoff Show, Donovan is one of the most respected free agent coaches available right now, and his name will soon appear in searches.

“Definitely very respected. I mean, his name is going to be included in these job searches that may come up based on the playoffs, exits and different things that happen over the next few weeks around the league.”

It is this trace of past opportunities that makes his situation noteworthy now.

Billy Donovan turned down Knicks and UNC before leaving Bulls

Charania revealed that Donovan had had genuine conversations about the New York Knicks head coaching job the previous summer, and had also shown serious interest from North Carolina during the season. Both times he stayed there.

“He could have gotten the New York Knicks job last summer. And his conversations with Michael and Jerry Reinsdorf basically led him to decide to stay, honor his commitment, honor his contract, and stick with it. And in the season, he could have gotten the UNC job. But he never committed with UNC, because the program made multiple back-channel attempts for him.”

Two different occasions. Two different moments. And both times Donovan chose to honor what he signed up for in Chicago, with the Bulls clearly headed toward a rebuild.

“So he potentially had multiple opportunities to get out of his contract with the Bulls. But he decided to continue. And so I think we’ll see what jobs open up.”

That’s just who he is. He is not a person who chases the exit when things get uncomfortable. He waited for the right moment, and now that he’s free, teams around the league will be lining up.

When asked specifically what jobs he considered realistically suitable, Charania was measured. The three current openings, Chicago, Milwaukee and New Orleans, are not where he sees Donovan landing. More interesting scenarios come later.

“Right now, it’s Chicago, it’s Milwaukee, it’s New Orleans. I don’t see him getting into these jobs. But we’ll see what happens around the league, like what happens in New York, what happens in Orlando.”

New York and Orlando are two very different situations. The Knicks are in the midst of a playoff race with Mike Brown on the hot seat. The Magic have Jamahl Mosley, but his future isn’t guaranteed either. Both are worth watching as the playoffs progress.

And through it all, Charania was clear about one thing. Donovan didn’t leave Chicago because something better was already waiting.

“Many other circumstances could arise this year. So I don’t think he’s made a decision, or at least I know he hasn’t already made a decision based on the job he’s been offered.”

Donovan spent five seasons in Oklahoma City, making the playoffs every year, winning two national championships at Florida and last September he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Wherever he lands, the job will be better for him.

Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from London School of Journalism and has four years of experience… More about Jayesh Pagar

在解雇了管理層高管阿圖拉斯·卡尼索瓦斯和邁克爾·埃弗斯利後，芝加哥公牛隊似乎進入了一個新時代，但主教練比利·多諾萬的問題仍然存在。儘管關於公牛隊和多諾萬的傳聞不斷，但球隊老闆邁克爾·雷因斯多夫會對球隊對主教練的看法發表很多言論。

據 KC 約翰遜透露，隨著圍繞多諾萬和芝加哥公牛的猜測仍在繼續，雷因斯多夫將於週二向媒體發表講話，並表達老闆如何希望教練在未來加入球隊。另外，關於多諾萬和他對自己未來的決定不會太久，因為常規賽結束後的周一將舉行會議。

「我希望非常清楚，我們希望比利繼續擔任芝加哥公牛隊的教練，」雷因斯多夫說。

雷因斯多夫將繼續談論球隊的做法，多諾萬是否留在球隊，例如教練「更多參與」人事對話，以及他們最終面試新總經理的時間。

雷因斯多夫說：“如果我們正在面試某人，而他們不喜歡比利和名人堂教練，以及在大學贏得冠軍並在俄克拉荷馬城季後賽中走得很深的人，而且考慮到他所分配的球隊，在芝加哥取得了良好的成績，那麼他們就不是我們的合適人選。”

不可否認，公牛隊本賽季的表現是多麼令人失望，球隊戰績為 29 勝 49 負，排在東部第 12 位，並無緣季後賽爭奪。多諾萬是否繼續擔任主教練還有待觀察，但球隊現在的目標是在周二對陣華盛頓巫師隊的比賽還剩四場比賽的情況下強勢結束常規賽。

The North Carolina Tar Heels turned to pro sports two years ago when they needed to find a new head coach for the football program. Now that they are in the market for a men’s basketball coach, the same approach can be used with someone acquired from the NBA.

Amid reports that he is an option under consideration in the Tar Heels coaching search, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan did not deny that he would be interested in the North Carolina coaching job. However, for now he is focused on his role in Chicago.

“My main focus is on these guys and this new team. I understand there’s a lot out there, and I understand there will be some speculation. But, I have to focus on this group, and really, my focus is on what we’re doing here in Chicago, having a game tonight, and traveling to play a back-to-back.”

Chicago Bulls HC Billy Donovan on potential interest in being considered as part of the North Carolina Tar Heels coaching search (h/t The Athletic)

RELATED: Latest on North Carolina Tar Heels coaching search

Donovan, who will turn 61 in May, was once one of the best coaches in college basketball. He won six regular season SEC titles and back-to-back national championships along with four Final Four appearances with the Florida Gators.

After posting a 467–186 record (.715 winning percentage) at Florida, Donovan made the jump to the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the 2015–16 NBA season. ^{He recorded a .608 winning percentage in five seasons with the franchise, but his record in the NBA playoffs was only 18–23.}

RELATED: North Carolina Tar Heels coaching candidates

One thing worth noting is that Chicago Sun-Times It was reported that there were rumors in the NBA that Donovan might leave the position of head coach of Chicago and then take a year off. Instead, he may decide to return to college basketball for the first time in more than a decade.

This would be a bit risky for both parties. Donovan was a men’s college basketball coach long before the NIL era and won national championships when future NBA stars like Joakim Noah and Al Horford coached him for multiple seasons.

Donovan wasn’t the only guy under consideration in the NBA. North Carolina reportedly had interest in Boston Celtics executive Brad Stevens, but he has opted to remain in his current role

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

When Billy Donovan was asked about the possibility of leaving the Chicago Bulls to coach North Carolina, he expressed complete reservations. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Donovan would not deny that he had some interest in coaching the Tar Heels, instead turning his attention to his job with the Bulls.

“My main focus is on these guys and this new team,” Donovan said. “I understand there are things out there, and I understand there will be some speculation. But, I’ve got to focus on this group, and really, my focus is on what we’re doing here in Chicago, having a game tonight, and traveling to play back-to-back.”

The message in these comments suggests that Chicago’s current head coach is still keeping the door open to a move to North Carolina after the season. The Bulls will play their final game on April 12, but he is under contract with Chicago after signing a multi-year deal last offseason. This line of thinking is in line with ClutchPoints’ report that there was some uncertainty over Donovan’s future.

Brett Siegel reported, “This has led to a lot of questions being asked among NBA personnel about Donovan’s long-term future with the Bulls.” “One of which revolves around whether he would really consider going back to college to a prolific program like North Carolina if he was offered the job.”

If Billy Donovan were ever to return to college after his successful stint at Florida from 1996 to 2015, it would likely be for the allure of a program like North Carolina.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is considered one of the leading candidates to take over as head coach of the North Carolina basketball program, league sources tell ClutchPoints. Hubert Davis was fired by the UNC Tar Heels after five seasons, and the school is moving quickly to add a high-profile coach to lead its historic program for the foreseeable future.

Whether or not Donovan will actually leave the NBA to become UNC’s next head coach after spending the last decade coaching professionally is the major question being asked in both the NBA and collegiate ranks.

North Carolina is expected to contact Donovan soon and have talks about his vacant head coaching role, with sources telling ClutchPoints that the Bulls coach would “seriously consider” the idea of ​​taking over the historic program if offered the job.

Donovan has never ruled out a possible return to coaching again at the collegiate level, and that opportunities like the one at UNC will likely arise again.

Donovan, a two-time NCAA championship coach with the Florida Gators, has spent the last 11 seasons in the NBA. He was originally hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015 before signing a lucrative four-year contract worth approximately $25 million to become the head coach of the Bulls in 2020.

Less than a year earlier, in July, Donovan signed a new multi-year contract extension making him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. Sources say Donovan is being paid $10 million per year on this new extension with the Bulls.

Although it is not certain whether he will leave the Bulls and the NBA to take over the UNC basketball program, Donovan’s future in Chicago has become a significant discussion topic among league personnel over the past month.

Billy Donovan’s future in Chicago is uncertain

While the Bulls have no intention of moving on from Donovan even though the 2025-26 season marks the franchise’s fourth consecutive season that has missed the playoffs, the latest rumors point to the 60-year-old head coach being unsure about his commitment to the organization.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ lack of direction has led Donovan to think about his future. As a result, there is growing speculation that Donovan is possibly stepping down to get his coaching career back on a successful path.

Donovan has never been one to bounce from one job to the next, given his time as a collegiate coach, which is why his perceived sense of skepticism in the overall direction of the Bulls will be a selling point in a potential new deal to become UNC’s next head coach.

In addition to keeping Donovan at the top of the list of potential candidates, the UNC Tar Heels selected Boston Celtics executive and former head coach Brad Stevens as the university’s top choice for their coaching vacancy. However, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Stevens has already removed his name from the university’s list of prospects.

When contacted for confirmation on the matter, league sources told ClutchPoints that Stevens has no desire to leave the Celtics and is fully committed to competing for and winning more championships in Boston.

In addition to Donovan, high-level coaches such as Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty Mays and Alabama’s Nate Oats have come up as rumored targets for UNC.

Since taking over the role of Bulls head coach in 2020, Donovan has compiled a record of 224–247, including 71 games this season, with only one postseason appearance in 2022. After winning 39 games each of the last two years, Donovan and the Bulls took a step back this year and will enter the offseason with a ton of questions revolving around roster construction.

This has led to many questions being asked among NBA personnel about Donovan’s long-term future with the Bulls, one of which revolves around whether he would really consider going back to college to a prolific program like North Carolina if offered the job.

On Monday evening, the Chicago Bulls picked up one of their most impressive wins of the season by defeating the Houston Rockets at home. The Bulls hit a steady stream of clutch shots in this one, which was enough to offset a big scoring night from Rockets star Kevin Durant.

Still, the Bulls are increasingly likely to miss the playoffs after a disappointing 2025-26 season, and according to a recent report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, a divorce between Chicago and head coach Billy Donovan could happen this summer.

Cowley reported, “There is growing momentum around the building that Donovan can step away from the mess and take a season to reevaluate what he wants out of the profession.”

Many have thought Donovan has been on the hot seat for quite some time, with the Bulls having been eliminated in the play-in tournament each of the last three seasons by the Miami Heat, no less.

However, Cowley pointed out that, “While Donovan is the ultimate optimist and is no closer to coaching, six seasons in now with no proven elite talent, he is instead being asked to build a brick house out of straw and clay.”

In fact, the Bulls didn’t have any true star-caliber players on their roster during Donovan’s stay, and though the team now has a glimpse of a direction with Josh Giddy, Matas Buzelis, and potentially another young talent depending on how the draft lottery works out in May, it’s still been a tough effort for Donovan to turn this roster into a competent team.

In any case, the Bulls will next take the field on Wednesday evening against the Philadelphia 76ers.

First of all, things are looking absolutely bleak for the Chicago Bulls when they play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Even though Josh Giddy was tallying historic assist totals, the Bulls found themselves trailing by 29 points.

However, Chicago made a remarkable performance in the fourth quarter. At one point they went on a 20-4 run, bringing them within one point. But some critical mistakes by James Harden and Evan Mobley robbed Chicago of its chance for the greatest comeback in history.

The result was that they had to face defeat 105-100.

There’s no doubt that Billy Donovan is thinking about the future of the franchise. That sentiment was expressed in how he viewed the game afterward. Of all the measures, they need to work on their mindset to overcome the difficulty.

“My issue is with him for tonight,” Donovan said. “They really care; they really want to do well individually and collectively, but we get frustrated a lot, and we have to be more tough when things aren’t going our way.

Despite missed opportunities, a select few put in notable performances in Chicago. Josh Giddy surpassed his personal best in assists (17) with 19 assists and scored nine points. Meanwhile, Leonard Miller came off the bench and added 10 points in the fourth quarter, and shot 4 of 9 from the field.

Also, Guerschon Yabusele scored 10 points of his own in the fourth quarter, including hitting two 3-pointers to close the gap in the waning minutes. Additionally, Nick Richard finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Trey Jones led the way with 20 points with four rebounds. Rob Dillingham scored 17 points and grabbed four boards. Chicago is now 28-42 and has lost 7 of its last 10 games.

There are still a few weeks left in the NBA regular season. But it’s safe to assume that the Chicago Bulls are still rebuilding. A series of trades that shook up the franchise during the trade deadline speaks to this.

As a result, the Bulls are stuck with a young roster and uncertainty about who will stay or go. This especially applies to Collin Sexton, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simmons, Jaden Ivey, Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham.

Additionally, head coach Billy Donovan is as forthright as ever when talking about Chicago’s future. According to Sports Illustrated’s Elias Schuster, this also includes questions about his future with the franchise.

Before the Bulls took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Donovan talked about the future.

“I think we’ll do what we’ve always done – sit out the end of the year,” he said. “We talk about the team every day and obviously the biggest challenge for us has been injuries and things we’ve gone through since the trade deadline. But just trying to get these new people together – playing together – [is] Where all our focus has been. The decisions you’re talking about are decisions that are probably going to be made during the draft, during free agency, those things. So, I think you should look at the team. Certainly, there are people whose contracts are expiring – there are people whose contracts are restricted – so there’s probably a lot of decisions that have to be made, but we haven’t really talked about those decisions at all at this point.

Currently, the Bulls are 28-41 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 是明尼苏达森林狼队的一名不错的新秀。球队在二月份与芝加哥公牛队的交易中获得了多森姆和朱利安·菲利普斯，以换取罗布·迪林厄姆、伦纳德·米勒和四个第二轮选秀权。

多森姆让森林狼队的替补席变得更加强大，在攻防两端始终如一的发挥。在为森林狼出战的 15 场比赛中，这位 26 岁的后卫场均贡献 12.1 分，投篮命中率为 53.6%。

虽然他的得分有所下降，但他暗示自己已经 更多自由 与森林狼队和公牛队相比，他在公牛队的教练是比利·多诺万。

“在芝加哥，中距离投篮确实是被禁止的。只有三分球和上篮。除非比赛时间结束，否则不能中距离投篮，”多松姆在森林狼队记者戴恩·摩尔发布的视频中说道。

“在这里，我们有鲁迪（戈贝尔），他正在设置大掩护。所以如果你能安排挡拆，你就可以摆脱鲁迪，你就可以打开。”

阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 谈论了他在挡拆报道中读到的内容，以及为什么在芝加哥禁止中投后，他在明尼苏达州进行了更多的中距离投篮。

“在芝加哥，中距离投篮确实是被禁止的。只有三分球和上篮，没有中距离投篮，除非是…… pic.twitter.com/LtGKsRjVqN

— 戴恩·摩尔 (@DaneMooreNBA) 2026 年 3 月 18 日

摩尔指出，多孙穆在森林狼队的中距离投篮次数为 12 次，而本赛季在公牛队的 45 场比赛中只投中了 4 次。

“在芝加哥，多孙穆 86% 的投篮命中率是在篮下或三分球。在明尼苏达，他正在成为一名三级得分手，”摩尔写道。

根据高级分析，由于效率低下，一些球队已经回避中距离投篮。一些专家甚至宣称中距离跳投在NBA已经是一门失传的艺术。

与此同时，明尼苏达队周二在目标中心以 116-104 击败菲尼克斯太阳队，战绩升至 42-27。

多孙木顶替安东尼·爱德华兹首发，贡献19分、5个篮板和2次助攻，后者因膝伤将缺席两周。

当周三对阵犹他爵士队时，他将继续发挥重要作用。

阿約·多孫穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 是明尼蘇達灰狼隊的一名不錯的新秀。球隊在二月份與芝加哥公牛隊的交易中獲得了多森姆和朱利安·菲利普斯，以換取羅布·迪林厄姆、倫納德·米勒和四個第二輪選秀權。

多森姆讓灰狼的替補席變得更加強大，在攻防兩端始終如一的發揮。在為灰狼出戰的 15 場比賽中，這位 26 歲的後衛場均貢獻 12.1 分，投籃命中率為 53.6%。

雖然他的得分有所下降，但他暗示自己已經 更多自由 與灰狼隊和公牛隊相比，他在公牛隊的教練是比利·多諾萬。

「在芝加哥，中距離投籃確實是被禁止的。只有三分球和上籃。除非比賽時間結束，否則不能中距離投籃，」多松姆在灰狼記者戴恩摩爾發布的影片中說道。

「在這裡，我們有魯迪（戈貝爾），他正在設置大掩護。所以如果你能安排擋拆，你就可以擺脫魯迪，你就可以打開。”

阿約·多孫穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 談論了他在擋拆報道中讀到的內容，以及為什麼在芝加哥禁止中投後，他在明尼蘇達州進行了更多的中距離投籃。

「在芝加哥，中距離投籃確實是被禁止的。只有三分球和上籃，沒有中距離投籃，除非是… pic.twitter.com/LtGKsRjVqN

— 戴恩摩爾 (@DaneMooreNBA) 2026 年 3 月 18 日

摩爾指出，多孫穆在灰狼隊的中距離投籃次數為 12 次，而本賽季在公牛隊的 45 場比賽中只投中了 4 次。

「在芝加哥，多孫穆 86% 的投籃命中率是在籃下或三分球。在明尼蘇達，他正在成為一名三級得分手，」摩爾寫道。

根據高級分析，由於效率低下，一些球隊已經迴避中距離投籃。有些專家甚至宣稱中距離跳投在NBA已經是一門失傳的藝術。

與此同時，明尼蘇達隊週二在目標中心以 116-104 擊敗菲尼克斯太陽隊，戰績升至 42-27。

多孫木頂替安東尼愛德華茲先發，貢獻19分、5籃板和2助攻，後者因膝傷缺席兩週。

當週三對陣猶他爵士隊時，他將繼續發揮重要作用。

chicago bulls The monkey was finally taken off their back after defeating the milwaukee bucks Spending February without winning a single game. On Tuesday, the Bulls faced the defending champion OKC Thunder.

Still, Chicago was without Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simmons, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith due to injury. Ivey suffers from left patellofemoral pain syndrome. Meanwhile, Simmons is dealing with a left ulnar styloid fracture. Additionally, Smith is nursing a right calf strain and Williams is out with a right calf strain.

Before the game, head coach Billy Donovan officially outlined Here’s what each of these players will do over the next five games, according to Chicago Sports Network’s Casey Johnson. Donovan said Ivey would stay behind, but Simmons would travel. However, it is not guaranteed that Simmons will play. Williams and Smith, meanwhile, will travel with hopes of playing.

Additionally, Donovan predicted what he thinks will happen to these players upon their return.

“I think ultimately that’s what’s going to happen is that whenever these guys can come back and be somewhat healthy and complete, regardless of the number of games left, we’re going to have to evaluate it,” Donovan said.

The Bulls are 25-36 and have lost 9 of their last 10 games. Their next five games are on the road, starting Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. After this they will play against Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Next Chicago will be in California to play the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, the LA Lakers on Thursday and the LA Clippers on Friday.

芝加哥公牛队希望在周日对阵纽约尼克斯队的比赛中打破八连败。然而，他们将失去后卫安芬尼·西蒙斯 由于手腕受伤 周六对阵底特律活塞队。

赛前主教练比利·多诺万 提供的上下文 据 The Athletic 的乔尔·洛伦齐 (Joel Lorenzi) 报道，西蒙斯本周将面临什么。多诺万表示西蒙斯将于周一接受影像检查。此外，他还将与专业团队会面，以全面评估他受伤的严重程度。

“只是想知道发生了什么，”多诺万说。 “也许只是扭伤，仅此而已，或者可能还有更多。他会去看手部专家”。

西蒙斯来到公牛队 作为贸易的一部分 这将尼古拉·武切维奇送到了波士顿凯尔特人队。目前他在与芝加哥队的六场比赛中场均得到15.2分。此前，西蒙斯在凯尔特人队出战49场比赛，场均贡献14.2分。

与此同时，芝加哥队本赛季战绩为 24 胜 33 负，并且在 2 月份没有赢过一场比赛。周六，他们以 126-110 输给了活塞队。西蒙斯总共打了 13 分钟，拿下 4 分，然后在第三节被换下场。

西蒙斯在公牛队的最佳比赛是 2 月 9 日对阵布鲁克林篮网队的比赛。他拿下23分，17投10中，并送出7次助攻。

周二，公牛队将留在主场迎战夏洛特黄蜂队。然后，他们将在周四主场对阵波特兰开拓者队，为二月份画上句号。

芝加哥公牛隊希望在周日對陣紐約尼克隊的比賽中打破八連敗。然而，他們將失去後衛安芬尼·西蒙斯 由於手腕受傷 週六對陣底特律活塞隊。

賽前主教練比利·多諾萬 提供的上下文 根據 The Athletic 的 Joel Lorenzi 報道，西蒙斯本週將面臨什麼。多諾萬表示西蒙斯將於週一接受影像檢查。此外，他還將與專業團隊會面，以全面評估他受傷的嚴重程度。

「只是想知道發生了什麼，」多諾萬說。 「也許只是扭傷，僅此而已，或者可能還有更多。他會去看手部專家」。

西蒙斯來到公牛隊 作為貿易的一部分 這將尼古拉·武切維奇送到了波士頓塞爾提克隊。目前他在與芝加哥隊的六場比賽中場均得到15.2分。此前，西蒙斯在塞爾提克出賽49場比賽，場均貢獻14.2分。

與此同時，芝加哥隊本賽季戰績為 24 勝 33 負，並且在 2 月沒有贏過一場比賽。週六，他們以 126-110 輸給了活塞隊。西蒙斯總共打了 13 分鐘，拿下 4 分，然後在第三節被換下場。

西蒙斯在公牛隊的最佳比賽是 2 月 9 日對陣布魯克林籃網隊的比賽。他拿下23分，17投10中，並送出7次助攻。

週二，公牛隊將留在主場迎戰夏洛特黃蜂隊。然後，他們將在周四主場對陣波特蘭拓荒者隊，為二月畫下句點。

The Chicago Bulls were given serious news on Saturday. center zach collins Will be out for the rest of the season. the reason is Causes of long term injury to toe Which will require surgery.

Head coach Billy Donovan, before the game against the Detroit Pistons expressed a wish For Collins to return next season. According to the Chicago Bulls, he is playing the final year of his contract.

“I think there are two sides to this,” Donovan said. “When a guy is in free agency, there’s a financial part to it, and then there’s the player, the make-up, the character. It’s hard for me, just not being in the conversation with a lot of people, to really know what a guy’s value is, so to speak, financially.”

“I know this from my perspective [value] It’s about winning. [When] He’s healthy and he’s out there, he’s a really good player for us, and I really like him. So, from that standpoint, I’m just hoping everything works out to get back here next year, because I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a teammate and a worker. Just his mentality, his toughness.”

Collins is completing what remains of his two-year, $34.8 million contract. This was a deal he signed with the San Antonio Spurs. A deal that was later accepted by the Bulls.

Collins played ten games this season. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His last appearance was on December 27 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Collins came up with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 112–103 loss.

On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls were back in action from the All-Star break and defeated the Toronto Raptors at home. Head coach Billy Donovan was recently absent to care for his family. his father diedBilly Donovan Sr.

Before the game, Bulls issued a tribute To Donovan Sr., according to ClutchPoints.

The Bulls honored the passing of head coach Billy Donovan Sr., father of head coach Billy Donovan, before tonight’s game versus the Raptors.

(via @DravesZachary) pic.twitter.com/ui1abaibg3

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 20 February 2026

Billy Donovan Sr. was a standout player at Boston College, where he finished as the No. 3 top scorer in program history with 1,102 career points. He was a first lieutenant in the army.

Billy Jr. later began playing basketball and played in college at Providence. In 1987, he was part of the team that reached the Final Four. Ultimately, Billy Jr. became the head coach at Florida and led them to two consecutive NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

After his father passed away, colleagues like Rick Pitino sent my best wishes. Meanwhile, the Bulls are 24-31 and on a six-game losing streak.

Donovan has been the head coach of the Bulls since the 2020–21 season. Till now he has made a record of 195-205. Additionally, Donovan led the Bulls to the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in which they were eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.

Previously, Donovan was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2020. He compiled a record of 243–157. His current overall coaching record in the NBA is 438–362. In 2025, Donovan was Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, Wes Unseld Jr. has taken over as interim head coach.

The basketball world was shocked by the news that Billy Donovan Sr., father of Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, has died. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino was one of the first to get the message across, as he is a close friend of the family.

Pitino, formerly of X, wrote on Twitter, “He was no better than Billy Donovan Sr. A special man in every sense of the word. RIP my friend! You’re in heaven already.”

Pitino coached Donovan Jr. when he was a player at Providence and he later joined Pitino’s coaching staff at Kentucky.

Donovan’s father was an important part of his life and supported his basketball dreams at all times. He also used to take her to New York Knicks games when she was a kid.

“These last 15, 16 years for me have been — oh my God! — phenomenal,” Donovan Sr. said in a 2011 story written by GatorZone. “I used to play basketball growing up. When Billy was little, we’d watch games on television and I’d take him to see the Knicks. And now, to be able to be with the team and go to all the games and knowing that Billy wants me to be a part of it, I’m so lucky I can’t even tell you.”

Donovan Sr. played college basketball at Boston College and scored over 1,000 career points.

There’s no doubt that Donovan Sr. played a big role in his son’s life, and he’s still living it up as the Bulls’ coach.

More people will probably send prayers and condolences to the family in the coming days.