Billy Donovan reportedly decides on new job after leaving Bulls
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Billy Donovan has reportedly settled on his next job.
ESPN insiders Shams Charania and Pete Thamel are reporting that Donovan is set to become the lead assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs played for an NBA championship in 2026, falling to the New York Knicks.
Billy Donovan has agreed to become the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and head coach Mitch Johnson, sources tell me and @PeteThamel. After 11 seasons as a head coach in Chicago and Oklahoma City, Donovan accepts the position with the Western Conference champions. pic.twitter.com/HdhjtsQG2K
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026
Donovan was an NBA head coach from 2015-26. He spent his first 5 professional seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the Donovan years, OKC made the NBA playoffs every season but lost in the 2016 conference finals and then in first-round action the next 4 years.
Chicago finished under .500 5 times under Donovan and only made the playoffs in 2022. He stepped away from the job after the 2025-26 season, in which the Bulls went 31-51.
SEC basketball fans know Donovan best for his 19 years leading the Florida Gators. Donovan, a 2025 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, posted a 467-186 record coaching the Gators. He led UF to its first two championships in program history in 2006 and ’07, as well as two additional trips to the Final Four and 3 finishes in the Elite 8. Under Donovan, Florida won 6 SEC regular-season titles and 4 conference tournament championships.
Donovan, who recently turned 61, was mentioned in connection to head coaching openings at North Carolina and Michigan. The Tar Heels hired Michael Malone, while Michigan is going with Mike Boynton Jr. as interim head coach for the 2026-27.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
