The Chicago Bulls officially named Tiago Splitter as the 25th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed for the 41-year-old Brazilian. He succeeds Billy Donovan, who stepped down on April 21 after six seasons.
“We are excited to welcome Tiago to the Chicago Bulls,” said Bryson Graham, executive vice president of basketball operations. “Throughout our process, Tiago stood apart for his basketball intellect, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete every single night. He has won at every level of the game as both a player and a coach, on multiple continents, and we believe his vision is the right fit for our young roster. We are excited to partner with him as we build the next era of Bulls basketball.”
Splitter, a center who played parts of seven seasons in the NBA, led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 42-40 season as the interim coach after Chauncey Billups was arrested in an FBI gambling investigation.
The Trail Blazers advanced through the play-in tournament and reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round.
“I want to thank Jerry (Reinsdorf, chairman), Michael (Reinsdorf, president and CEO), Bryson and the entire Chicago Bulls organization for the opportunity to lead this historic franchise,” Splitter said. “The Bulls represent everything I love about this game, carrying a proud tradition, a passionate city and a young, hungry group of players ready to grow. I’m grateful for the trust this organization has placed in me, and I can’t wait to get to work in Chicago.”
Splitter previously was an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets (2019-23) and Houston Rockets (2023-24). He was the head coach for Paris Basketball in 2024-25, leading the club to French League and Basketball Cup championships and into the EuroLeague playoffs.
The Bulls finished 31-51 last season and were 226-256 under Donovan from 2020-26.
A first-round draft pick by San Antonio in 2007, the 6-foot-11 Splitter averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 355 career games (153 starts) with the Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. He won a championship with the Spurs in 2014.
