Bulls Have Another Reason to Believe Billy Donovan Has UNC on the Brain

The Chicago Bulls' Billy Donovan has yet to fully shut down the UNC rumors, and now one report says it's always been near the top of his list.

Mar 10, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan watches the action during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

As the Chicago Bulls get swept by the 18-win Indiana Pacers and make national headlines due to the Jaden Ivey drama, the Billy Donovan saga only becomes more pressing.

Things in Chicago are as messy as a frat house bedroom. Despite moving on from seven players at this season's trade deadline, the direction of the franchise has yet to come into focus. They added several veterans who gobbled up more playing time than several young pieces. Chicago's lottery odds also started to trend in the wrong direction as they picked up unnecessary wins over playoff-caliber teams like Phoenix and Houston.

Additionally, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White have only looked better and better with their new teams, making it easy to wonder why the Bulls felt like they had to get rid of both in the first place. The good news is that Chicago may still end up with the 9th-best lottery odds and have no choice but to play newbies like Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller extended minutes the rest of the way. The bad news is that it took injuries and an official postseason elimination to make this happen.

Indeed, there doesn't seem to be a clear course of action to follow, which sure feels concerning with such a pivotal offseason on the horizon. Does Billy Donovan really want to stick around with so much up in the air? Better yet, does he want to remain working under a front office that has repeatedly failed to build him a contending roster?

If one thing is for sure, the rumors about his departure haven't gone anywhere. He has continued to be tied heavily to the North Carolina job, and the head coach hasn't done much to shut that down. To be sure, a move back to college would be an adjustment, but it sure feels like one that Donovan could become comfortable with rather quickly. The NCAA is more like the NBA than ever before, making the league's third-longest tenured head coach a uniquely strong fit.

Has Billy Donovan Always Eyed the UNC Job?

Mar 28, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde added to all the buzz in his latest appearance on The Right Time with Bomani Jones. Sitting down to discuss a wide range of college basketball topics, Forde shared that the UNC job has long been on Billy Donovan's radar:

“I don’t think it would a problem for him [Billy Donovan], and I think he would be a great hire, as would Tommy Lloyd I think, too. I heard back when he was in Florida and when he was in the NBA, the only other job that would interest him, that would kind of light the candle in his eyes, would be Carolina because he realized what kind of job that is," Forde told Jones. "He is a great coach. I think he would walk in and immediately be at the very top as an X and O coach. And you can figure out the rest of it.”

Forde proceeded to emphasize how many colleges have gone after Donovan over the last 20 years, making note that Kentucky has tried multiple times. Donovan was viewed as a top candidate for that opening in 2024, but publicly declined and reiterated his commitment to Chicago.

It's becoming increasingly clear that something is different this time around. Different enough to lead to a legitimate change? Only time will tell, but Forde's comment gives us even more reason to believe it's possible. This is particularly true when we consider that he stressed this wasn't a known fact only during his NCAA days but rather during his time in the NBA, as well.

At the end of the day, there may not be a more natural time for Donovan to depart the organization. Even if we put aside the overall dysfunction, the Bulls roster is set for another massive turnover in the coming months. If Donovan is having any thoughts of ending his time in Chicago in the near future, doing it before an entirely new era begins could be in the best interest of both parties.

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