The Chicago Bulls were once among the most celebrated franchises in the NBA.
After all, they were home to stars like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the duo led the franchise to six NBA Championships in the 1990s.
During that era, the Chicago Bulls were coached by none other than the legendary ‘Zen Master’ Phil Jackson. Since then, the Bulls have been in search of another coach who can take the team back to its glory days.
Many believe that the Bulls’ current head coach, Billy Donovan, is capable of doing so, especially considering that the organization recently re-signed him to a long-term deal.
Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty ImagesBilly Donovan’s NBA coaching experience
Although the Bulls have reached the postseason just twice in the last decade, they have one of the most sought-after head coaching jobs in the league.
Donovan landed the job in 2020 after serving five years as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he led the team to a 243-157 record.
Unfortunately, Donovan’s stint with the Bulls hasn’t been the same as the franchise has struggled to leave a mark.
In fact, Donovan has a 48.8% winning percentage with the Bulls over the last five seasons. To be precise, the Bulls have gone 195-205 under Donovan.
Despite that, the Bulls have shown incredible trust in Donovan as he must have begun preparations for Year 6 as the head coach of the once-great franchise.
Billy Donovan’s NCAA coaching experience
While Donovan already has 10 years of coaching experience under his belt in the NBA, the 60-year-old’s basketball knowledge can’t be judged solely based on that.
After all, before coming to the NBA in 2015, Donovan enjoyed an elongated spell in the NCAA with the Marshall Thundering Herd and Florida Gators.
The list of Donovan’s achievements as the head coach of the Gators runs long, including two NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007.
Donovan’s coaching prowess can easily be judged by his impressive 70.9% winning percentage spanning over a 21-year tenure at the NCAA.