Donovan is a shift in philosophy for the Bulls, who rarely hire seasoned NBA coachesNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The Bulls "landed one of the biggest names and most experienced coaches available" with the hiring of Billy Donovan to fill their head coaching vacancy, according to Jamal Collier of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The move "represents a shift for the Bulls, who rarely have hired coaches with prior NBA head coaching experience and especially not one as accomplished as Donovan," who spent the last five seasons with the Thunder. The Bulls getting Donovan is "one of the biggest coaching splashes in team history." The hire "comes just as the Bulls are scheduled to begin voluntary workouts this week at the Advocate Center, their first team activities since March." Donovan "becomes the latest piece of a franchise overhaul over the last six months that has injected life into a rebuild that had grown stagnant" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/23).
BIG SPLASH: In Chicago, Joe Cowley writes Bulls Exec VP/Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas "showed these aren't the same old Bulls" with a "hire of seismic proportions" in Donovan. Bulls President & COO Michael Reinsdorf "indicated that the basketball side of operations has an open checkbook to build a foundation that can return the Bulls to championship caliber" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/23). Also in Chicago, Mike McGraw writes this is the "first significant addition to the coaching staff" for Karnisovas (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 9/23). THE ATHLETIC's Jon Greenberg wrote the Bulls "just completed a major upgrade of their front office and coaching staff and the NBA Finals haven't even started yet." The Bulls "snatched up the best coach available in Donovan" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/22).
SIGNALING A NEW ERA? In Chicago, Barry Rozner writes what Bulls fans "hope to see now is a professional organization with a plan and a legitimate head coach" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 9/23). Also in Chicago, K.C. Johnson wrote the Donovan hire signals a "new era in Bulls basketball." But it "didn't arrive cheaply, and it hasn't won anything but news conferences yet" (NBCSPORTSCHICAGO.com, 9/22).
