The Tough Pill Chicago Bulls Fans Must Accept on Billy Donovan

There has been much debate on Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan throughout his tenure with one of the greatest franchises in NBA history. Since joining the Bulls in 2020, his team hasn't been up to par, and many have called for his departure.

Unfortunately for them, Donovan will remain in Chicago after signing a multi-year contract extension with the team. It has sparked debate on whether or not he deserves to stay with the franchise after disappointing seasons.

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

Billy Donovan's Tenure

The Bulls have been treading in mediocrity over the last few seasons, being a perennial Play-In Tournament team. They haven't been bad enough to gain a higher lottery pick, but they also haven't been good enough to get to the playoffs. This is arguably the worst situation to be in for an NBA team.

However, that's just the surface of the situation. While Chicago was a middle-of-the-pack team last season, a 39-43 record was better than expected, and there was major development from players such as Coby White, Josh Giddey, and rookie Matas Buzelis as the season went on. It speaks to the coaching of Donovan.

Chicago Sun-Times writer Joe Cowley detailed how Donovan has managed to keep his job despite the Bulls organization surrounding him with poor talent. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons were just a glimpse of how his coaching could impact a team and its stars.

"The best team Karnisovas has given Donovan was the 2021-22 squad, and before they lost Lonzo Ball for the next two-plus years, it was a first-place team," Cowley wrote. "Not that anyone believed that they could make a championship run if they stayed healthy, but they would have been better than the first-round loss to Milwaukee that postseason.

The 2021-22 team held the first seed in the Eastern Conference up until February 25th, as they ended up finishing the season with the sixth seed instead after only winning seven more games for the remainder of the year.

"Zach LaVine’s best non-empty-calorie season came under Donovan, evident by the career-high 7.1 win share in the 2022-23 campaign, DeMar DeRozan re-established his name as an MVP candidate under Donovan, Alex Caruso became a two-time All-Defensive award winner, while Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Matas Buzelis each have taken huge strides in their development."

Billy Donovan and Coby Whit — Apr 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talks to guard Coby White (0) during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

Now, Donovan's task will be continuing to develop Chicago's youth, with 2025 lottery pick Noa Essengue. Ayo Dosunmo will also be fully healthy after playing just 46 games next season. If the Bulls can show improvement once again, it could prove Donovan's naysayers wrong and that it has been a problem of talent and circumstance rather than coaching.

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Billy Donovan's Tenure

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