Billy Donovan will replace Sean Sweeney, who was hired by the Orlando Magic as their new head coach.
Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.
***
The San Antonio Spurs made another offseason addition Thursday, as former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has agreed to join Mitch Johnson’s staff, a team source confirmed to The Athletic.
Donovan will replace Sean Sweeney, who was hired by the Orlando Magic as their new head coach. ESPN was the first to report Donovan’s hiring.
Rather than taking a year off to enjoy a normal life and serve as a consultant when his Bulls tenure ended, Donovan has elected to dive right back into the coaching life. In April, he stepped down as Bulls coach after six seasons at the helm and was later succeeded by former Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter.
“After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, to allow the search process to unfold,” Donovan said in a statement announcing his exit from the Bulls in April. “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.”
Donovan was a floor-raiser during his time in Chicago. Even when the team’s talent level was sparse, he developed hard-working rotations that kept the Bulls in the Play-In Tournament until last season. This will be the first time since he coached the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook Thunder that he will have a chance to raise the ceiling of one of the league’s most talented rosters. Donovan was also a contender for the University of North Carolina job, which went to former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
The Spurs lost the NBA Finals in five games to the New York Knicks earlier this month, revealing a need for more experience managing high-pressure situations. The team’s top players will undoubtedly grow from coming up short, but Donovan will bring a wealth of experience to help the team get there. A big part of Donovan’s departure from Chicago was his desire to compete as the Bulls were turning toward a rebuild. He’ll get the chance to do that in San Antonio.
The Spurs had a series of departures on their coaching staff this offseason beyond Sweeney. Though the front row of the bench appears to remain intact beyond Sweeney, including Matt Nielsen, Scott King, Mike Noyes and Corliss Williamson, assistant video coordinator Jon Harris is following Sweeney to Orlando, video assistant Jonathan Tchatchoua is returning to his alma mater Baylor, and player development coach Ryan Oliver is joining Pepperdine as an assistant coach.
***
Jared Weiss is a staff writer covering the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama for The Athletic. He has covered the Celtics since 2011, co-founding CLNS Media Network while in college before covering the team for SB Nation’s CelticsBlog and USA Today. Before coming to The Athletic, Weiss spent a decade working for the government, primarily as a compliance bank regulator. You can follow Jared on X @JaredWeissNBA
