Chicago Bulls Finalize Deal to Hire Tiago Splitter as Head Coach

The Chicago Bulls have hired Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise’s new head coach. The team confirmed the news on Tuesday.

OFFICIAL: Tiago Splitter has been named our new head coach.

Welcome to Chicago, Coach Splitter! pic.twitter.com/7CdLV3vyAW

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 16, 2026

Splitter will become the 25th head coach in Bulls franchise history, succeeding Billy Donovan, who stepped down after a tenure that produced just one playoff appearance and persistent criticism over a stagnant offense and mid-table finishes in the Eastern Conference.

“The Bulls represent everything I love about this game, carrying a proud tradition, a passionate city and a young, hungry group of players ready to grow,” Splitter said. “I’m grateful for the trust this organization has placed in me, and I can’t wait to get to work in Chicago.”

Who Tiago Splitter Is – and What He Brings to Chicago

Splitter spent nine seasons as an NBA center, winning a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 before retiring in 2018. After his playing career ended, he moved into coaching – first as a player-development and scouting assistant with the Brooklyn Nets, then in a big-man development role with the Spurs organization, where he built a reputation for improving young frontcourt players’ fundamentals and decision-making.

His profile changed significantly early in the 2025–26 season when the Portland Trail Blazers thrust him into the interim head-coach role after Chauncey Billups was removed following federal gambling charges.

Splitter guided a young Portland roster to a 42–40 regular-season record and a Play-In Tournament win, stabilizing a team in crisis and earning league-wide attention in the process. He has been credited with keeping the locker room together and installing accountability after the Billups scandal.

What the Splitter Hire Means for Chicago’s Direction

This is a development-first hire, not a safe veteran choice. It emphasizes Chicago‘s player development, defensive identity, and locker-room connectivity, areas where Splitter excelled in Portland. Splitter was able to build a structured defense and empower young guards during his time with the Blazers. Questions will be raised about how his schemes translate to a more veteran core in Chicago.

The Bulls are making a bet on upside over certainty – a signal that the front office sees a rebuild window rather than a quick-fix push. With the NBA drawing its largest Finals audience since 1998, when the Bulls led the way with Michael Jordan, the pressure on franchises to build something watchable and coherent has never been higher.

Chicago is clearly trying to establish a foundation rather than paper over the same issues that defined the Donovan years. The Knicks winning their first title in 53 years may give Chicago hope it can bring back the glory years of old.

What Comes Next for the Bulls

The immediate next steps are completing the contract and assembling Splitter‘s assistant staff – decisions that will signal whether he leans on the Spurs coaching tree or builds his own group.

His voice will also shape Chicago’s offseason roster decisions, including potential trades and extensions for core players. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers’ coaching search resumes. Splitter is now off the board, leaving assistants Jordi Fernández Nori and Tyler Lashbrook among the candidates to take the head coach role.

For the Bulls, the hire marks the clearest statement of franchise direction in years – and whether Splitter can replicate his Portland success in a larger market will define Chicago‘s next chapter.