NBA
Billy Donovan signed a multi-year extension to stay in Chicago
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated5 hours ago on July 28, 2025
The 2024-25 season was the second consecutive year the Bulls finished with a 39-43 record. Additionally, it’s the third straight year the team has lost in the play-in tournament.
Despite not taking a step forward, the Bulls still value head coach Billy Donovan extremely highly. Over the weekend, ESPN’s Shams Charania announced the Bulls are signing Donovan to a multi-year extension. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet. The 2025-26 season will be Donovan’s sixth year with Chicago.
Billy Donovan has been rewarded with a new contract extension from the Bulls
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has signed a multiyear contract extension with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. Donovan is viewed as a leader within the Bulls organization, and will enter his sixth season in Chicago in 2025-26 with 800 NBA games coached over his career. pic.twitter.com/LVYMiZt2Tv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 27, 2025
Following the 2019-20 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Billy Donovan mutually agreed to part ways. He spent five years with the Thunder and made five straight playoff appearances. With that track record as a head coach, the Bulls hired Donovan ahead of the 2020-21 season. In five years with Chicago, Donovan’s teams have made just one trip to the postseason.
Additionally, the team has had a winning record once in Donovan’s five seasons. He has a 195-205 record as head coach of the Bulls. In recent years, the Bulls have been disappointing, but the team will not make a change at head coach. That’s one part of their franchise that the front office feels they have right. This offseason, the Knicks requested to interview Donovan for their head coaching vacancy. Chicago did not allow an interview.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan has signed an extension to remain Chicago’s head coach, a source tells The Athletic.
The Bulls are 195-205 since 2020 and have finished the past three seasons in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament. pic.twitter.com/5KqOkGE0z7
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 27, 2025
Heading into 2025-26, Billy Donovan had one year remaining on his contract. However, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the team is giving Donovan a multi-year extension. Charania said the team values “his strong leadership across every level of the franchise.” The 60-year-old will enter his 11th season as a head coach, his sixth with the Bulls.
This offseason, Chicago did not make a splash in free agency. Their roster for next season is comparable to what they had at the end of 2024-25. Can Billy Donovan elevate the Bulls roster and help the team get over the hump? Chicago finished the 2024-25 regular season 15-5. Coby White and Josh Giddey were playing their best basketball at the end of last year. What does the future hold for the Bulls next season?
