Tiago Splitter was formally introduced Wednesday as the Bulls’ 25th coach, replacing Billy Donovan after six seasons. The 41-year-old, whose NBA playing career includes a 2014 Spurs title, promised the team will “compete every night” as Chicago looks to reset
CHICAGO — Tiago Splitter still remembers the hours when basketball felt like a secret mission. Growing up in Brazil, he watched Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the night—hidden from his parents, at 1 a.m., rooting for a team during its most successful franchise era.
On Wednesday, the 41-year-old former NBA player walked into a different role with the same franchise on his mind. He was formally introduced as the Bulls’ 25th coach, with an assignment that doesn’t come with much patience: help pull Chicago back into contention after years of missing the playoffs.
Splitter brings experience that includes seven years in the NBA as a player and a difficult season as the interim coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. His path to this job also moved through a crowded coaching field reportedly that included Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori. Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt. and Wes Unseld Jr. who was on Chicago’s coaching staff last season.
The most significant move around the coaching change also came earlier this spring. Bryson Graham took over as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4. and the Splitter hire followed as Chicago tried to align a new basketball direction with a new leader. Graham praised Splitter’s competitiveness and his ability to connect with players, saying, “We are at the ground floor. And so when you have someone that has a vision that aligns with yours. that knows how you want to play. and how to build a program. we just. I mean. we couldn’t be more excited.”.
Splitter’s own description of his most recent coaching chapter was focused on basketball—and on shutting out noise. He joined Chauncey Billups’ staff in Portland last June. then was elevated from assistant to interim coach when Billups was arrested in October in a federal takedown of a sprawling gambling operation. Billups has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
With that backdrop, Splitter coached Portland to a 42-40 record and guided the Trail Blazers to a five-game loss to San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. It marked the first playoff appearance and the first time Portland finished with a winning record since the 2020-21 season.
“It wasn’t an easy situation,” Splitter said. “I think. you know. as the season went to the finish. to the end. we almost forgot about it and that was the great thing. … That was most important thing for me. just like leaving the outside noise out of the picture and focusing on basketball and by the end. you’re having like a clear goal and finish the way we finished.”.
He declined to discuss his departure from Portland, saying, “I think there’s too many things being said already and I think that’s enough,” and adding, “I’m past that and I want to think about the Chicago Bulls.”
His résumé spans several stops and roles. As a player, Splitter spent time with San Antonio, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. He was selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 draft and helped San Antonio win an NBA title in 2014.
After retiring, he worked for Brooklyn for five seasons from 2018-23, first as a pro scout and then as an assistant coach. He was an assistant for Houston for one year before coaching Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup championship during the 2024-25 season.
Graham pointed to that mix of playing and coaching experience when explaining why Splitter fits what the Bulls are building.
“He’s got a phenomenal story,” Graham said.
Splitter is taking over for Billy Donovan, who resigned after six seasons. The Bulls had conversations with Donovan about returning, but Donovan decided to step aside rather than work with a new front office.
On the court, Chicago’s recent results have been part of the pressure around the next hire. The Bulls allowed 121.5 points per game this season, ranking 28th overall in the NBA. Chicago finished 31-51 and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Still, the franchise has resources coming. The Bulls pick No. 4 and No. 15 in next week’s draft, and they have plenty of salary-cap space going into free agency. Splitter, asked about expectations for next season, didn’t take the bait for specifics.
“I can guarantee you one thing: We’re going to compete every night,” he said. “And we’re going to have high standards with everything that we do.”
For Splitter, the promise lands with a personal echo: a kid in Brazil staying up late for Bulls games at 1 a.m., and now a coach tasked with making Chicago’s nights worth watching again.
Tiago Splitter Chicago Bulls NBA coaching Billy Donovan Bryson Graham Chauncey Billups Portland Trail Blazers San Antonio Spurs 2026 NBA draft
So is Tiago Splitter related to San Antonio at all or is this just another random hire?
“Compete every night” sounds nice but Chicago been saying stuff like that for years. Wait… did Billy Donovan really get replaced already? I feel like they just had him.
I don’t get it, they say “reset” but then mention some exec taking over May 4? Like Splitter is the coach but the real changes are just paperwork. Also Portland interim coach season… wasn’t that the year everything collapsed anyway?
Brazil to Bulls coaching is kinda wild. But Jordan watching at 1 a.m. doesn’t mean they’ll fix the offense. They keep swapping coaches and yet somehow it’s still not working, so maybe the problem is the front office or whoever picks the players, not the coach. Anyway I hope he can turn it around, because missing the playoffs again would be brutal.