Tiago Splitter Reportedly Hires Several Experienced Assistant Coaches to Bulls Staff

With Summer League competition winding down, the Chicago Bulls' coaching staff is coming together.

Tiago Splitter has taken his time bringing in new faces, focusing his efforts on preparing the organization's newest youngsters for Summer League play. He has coached the first two games in Las Vegas but will finally pass the torch for the Bulls' third game on Tuesday night. The plan is for assistant Austin Dufault to sit in the lead chair against the Wizards.

Speaking of which, Dufault is a holdover from Billy Donovan's staff. He will seemingly join a couple of pre-existing coaches who will stay aboard to help Splitter make the adjustment. Wes Unseld Jr. has also been consistently spotted around the Advocate Center and appears destined to remain a key figure on the staff.

Nevertheless, staff changes/additions were inevitable, and it sounds like Splitter has finally settled on a few outside hires.

Tiago Splitter Adding Three New Coaches

Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Il, USA; New Chicago Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter speaks during a press conference at Advocate Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Bulls are gearing up to name three new assistant coaches for Tiago Splitter's first staff.

Rex Kalamian is an extremely experienced coach who has worked with a long list of teams over the years. He was most recently with the Milwaukee Bucks, serving two years on their bench under Doc Rivers. Other notable stops for Kalamian include a long stretch in OKC from 2009 to 2015, as well as a multi-year run with the Toronto Raptors, where he crossed paths with Norman Powell.

Considering Splitter is technically a first-time head coach, it's undoubtedly in his best interest to bring in some veteran minds. Kalamain will offer just that, having worked under respected long-time leaders like Scott Brooks, Dwane Casey, Tyronn Lue, and Rivers.

Jonah Herscu will join the Bulls after serving as the Portland Trail Blazers G League head coach last season. The affiliate went 19-17 under his watch, which came after three years of serving as an assistant with the Trail Blazers.

To be sure, Herscu and Splitter never worked together on the same coaching staff, but it feels safe to assume the Bulls' head coach became comfortable with Herscu during their time inside the organization last season.

Lastly, Blake Ahearn will come to the Bulls after gaining experience as a Memphis Grizzlies assistant under Taylor Jenkins. He was also the San Antonio Spurs' G League head coach for several years prior to that stint.

Ahearn's name may sound familiar to some, as he's a former player who had a few sips of coffee in the NBA with Miami, San Antonio, and Utah. He was most known for his sharpshooting abilities, drilling threes at 40+ percent over his career on high volume. For a Bulls team that has plenty of young players who need to tweak their jump, Ahearn could prove to be a big help.

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