Billy Donovan leaves Bulls after Arturas Karnisovas, Marc Eversley firings

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Billy Donovan leaves Bulls after Arturas Karnisovas, Marc Eversley firings

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Apr 21, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Billy Donovan leaves Bulls after Arturas Karnisovas, Marc Eversley firings appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has decided to step away and leave the organization, the team announced on Tuesday morning.

"After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as head coach of the Chicago Bulls , to allow the search process to unfold," Donovan said in the team's release. "I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit."

Despite the Bulls making it clear to Donovan that they wanted him as their head coach for the foreseeable future, Donovan ultimately elected to leave the organization's head-coaching decision up to whoever takes over in the front office after Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were fired.

In meetings after Karnisovas and Eversley were fired, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and team CEO Michael Reinsdorf told Donovan they were committed to him and wanted him to continue coaching the team, sources told ClutchPoints. But uncertainty about the team's future lingered for Donovan, leaving him with little optimism.

For weeks, Donovan had been giving thought to what his immediate future looked like, leading to a lot of speculation around the NBA that he would take the North Carolina Tar Heels' opening after the program fired Hubert Davis.

Although Donovan had shown interest in the position and UNC had him as one of their top choices, the long-time head coach did not want to leave the Bulls before the conclusion of the regular season. As a result, the Tar Heels moved quickly to hire former Denver Nuggets championship head coach Michael Malone.

Donovan, 60, departs an organization he has spent the last six seasons with, posting a 226-256 record with one postseason appearance. The Bulls' lack of direction and potential moving forward played a direct role in Donovan wanting a clean break to focus on his future in coaching.

"Billy Donovan is one of the finest people and coaches I have had the privilege of knowing and working with," Jerry Reinsdorf said in the team's release. "He brought class and genuine care to this organization that made a real impact on people. We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach – that was never in question. But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new Head of Basketball Operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise.

"That is the kind of person Billy is – he put the Bulls first. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organization."

Donovan, Bulls immediate future

Donovan, who was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, has been coaching in the NBA since the start of the 2015-16 season after leaving the University of Florida. At the college ranks, Donovan spent almost two decades with Florida, winning back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.

Upon leaving the Gators for the NBA, Donovan spent five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before being hired by the Bulls. In total, Donovan has gone 469-413 as an NBA head coach, and he will be on the radar of several teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason.

However, whether Donovan wants to continue coaching and move to a new place or take some time to himself is the question at large. It was one that left his future in Chicago uncertain before any decisions to fire Karnisovas or Eversley were made.

Even so, the general consensus around the NBA is that Donovan will continue coaching, and he will be connected to several high-profile jobs, including the New Orleans Pelicans , sources said. Donovan will also be linked to the Orlando Magic should they decide to move on from Jamahl Mosley after the playoffs.

The Bulls have already begun putting together the interview process with several executives around the NBA as they search for their next top executive to lead the future of the organization. Whoever takes over for Karnisovas and Eversley will have their work cut out for them, starting with finding a young head coach to lead this franchise into the future.

Heading into the summer, Chicago will have plenty of cap flexibility, the projected ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft along with pick No. 15, and two franchise cornerstones in Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis to build with.

At this time, the Bulls are moving quickly in their front-office hiring process, as they will have their vision locked in by the time the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May rolls around.

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