Chicago Bulls Next Head Coach Odds 2026: Taylor Jenkins the Favorite
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The Billy Donovan era came to an end on Tuesday, on the heels of six seasons and zero playoff series wins, leading the Chicago Bulls to look for a new head coach for the first time since 2020.
To get a sense of which candidates might be in mind for the next Bulls coach as owner Jerry Reinsdorf leads the search for a coach, GM and executive VP, Bookies.com broke down some odds on who could step in for the former position, with a host of former head coaches and rising assistants atop our list.
Billy Donovan stepped down Apr. 21, completing a full organizational reset. Chicago enters one of the most active coaching carousels in years — 8–12 changes expected league-wide this offseason.
Fired from Memphis in 2025, Jenkins is the consensus top available coach heading into this summer. He took the Grizzlies to back-to-back top-3 seeds in the West, built almost entirely through player development and defensive culture — the exact blueprint Chicago needs. Previously a Budenholzer assistant in Milwaukee (2018-19). Both the Bucks and Bulls are pursuing him; Bookies.com's own Bucks odds opened him at +200 for Milwaukee, making +225 for Chicago reasonable given the competition.
The name generating the most Bulls-specific buzz. At 40 he'd be one of the youngest HCs in the league, but his development resume is outstanding — Atkinson's Cavaliers have been the NBA's gold standard for player development, and Bryant is the lead architect of that system. He's already been through high-level HC vetting, reaching finalist status for the Suns and Knicks in 2025. Chicago's young backcourt of Giddey, Ivey, Dillingham, and Simons is exactly the profile he's built to develop. Less competition here than for Jenkins.
Went 90-74 in two seasons with the Lakers including a Western Conference Finals run in Year 1. Was part of Milwaukee's 2021 championship staff as Budenholzer's top assistant. Bookies.com's own Bucks article opened him at +325 for Milwaukee — Chicago's price at +400 reflects that he's available to three teams (Pelicans and Magic also pursuing). His style is defense-first and big-man-centric, which is a less natural fit with Chicago's backcourt-heavy core, but his HC credibility is real.
NBA GMs have ranked Cassell a top-4 assistant league-wide three consecutive years. Explicitly named as a Bulls candidate by multiple outlets. Three-time champion as a player, his work developing Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday in Boston translates directly to what Chicago needs. The guard-heavy core of Giddey, Ivey, Dillingham, and Simons is tailor-made for him. Sits at +550 rather than shorter because he has no HC experience and Chicago may prioritize proven options given the parallel GM search is still unsettled.
Unseld Jr. is already in the building — he's been the Bulls' lead assistant since 2024 and was their acting HC when Donovan was away earlier this season. He has real HC experience (2.5 seasons as Wizards HC), knows this roster better than anyone outside of it, and was previously part of Michael Malone's championship-caliber Nuggets staff for six years. The NBA GM survey listed him as a top assistant ready for another shot. The new front office may view continuity as a priority given how much upheaval the organization has already absorbed.
Nori was the #1 answer in the 2025-26 NBA GM survey for which assistant is most ready to be a head coach — 25% of GMs chose him, more than double the next name. He's been a key part of Minnesota's ascent, building a reputation as one of the sharpest offensive minds in coaching circles. He fits the profile of what Chicago needs: a young, modern coach who can develop talent in a rebuild. The longshot designation reflects name recognition with the public, not credibility with league people — who clearly rate him very highly.
HoopsHype named Borrego as a coach to watch across multiple openings this summer. Former Popovich disciple, four seasons as HC in Charlotte, modern offensive credentials, and real HC experience. The reason he's a longshot for Chicago: New Orleans will likely offer him the permanent job first, and Milwaukee has also been linked. He'll have his pick of landing spots — and without a settled GM in place, Chicago may not be first in line when he makes his decision.
Chicago is simultaneously interviewing GM candidates (Gansey, Matt Lloyd, Bryson Graham, Dennis Lindsey, Dave Telep) and whoever lands that job will drive the coaching hire. With 8-12 coaching changes expected this offseason, the carousel will surface names not yet widely reported. Doc Rivers remains available. Jay Larranaga (Clippers assistant) has drawn league-wide interest. Juwan Howard has been mentioned in GM survey circles. The new GM's network could produce a name that isn't on any public list right now.
Note: The Field (+350) reflects the significant wildcard created by the parallel GM search. Whoever Chicago hires to run the front office will drive the coaching decision.
Taylor Jenkins Chicago Bulls Odds (+275)
Our top candidate to replace Donovan in Chicago is the former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, with Taylor Jenkins checking in at +275 after helping rebuild his previous team from a Western Conference afterthought into a regular postseason contender. During his six-year stint in the Bluff City, Jenkins went 250-214 with consecutive division championships in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
While the Grizzlies only made it out of the first round once in Jenkins’ three playoff runs at NBA betting apps, his success in the regular season makes him a top name to watch this offseason, especially given the Bulls’ lack of postseason appearances since firing Tom Thibodeau in 2015.
Given the rebuild that’s required in Chicago, it seems like Jenkins’ past experience with the Grizzlies makes him a no-brainer for Reinsdorf (or whichever person he hires as a GM or VP), though the Bulls’ biggest competition for his services might come from the club’s closest rival (geographically), with the Milwaukee Bucks having a head-start in their own head coaching search after Doc Rivers stepped down on April 13.
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Johnnie Bryant Bulls Head Coach Odds (+300)
While Jenkins will likely be Chicago’s top target this offseason, another potential candidate is current Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Johnnie Bryant.
Bryant has been an assistant coach in the league since 2014, working with the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Cavaliers, while bringing strong player development skills to the table as the associate head coach for the Cavaliers (and Knicks before that).
The 40-year-old Oakland native was a finalist for the Phoenix Suns and Knicks openings last year and has a solid shot at using his player development tools with Chicago’s young backcourt of Josh Giddey, Rob Dillingham and Anfernee Simons, while facing less competition for his services than a proven head coach like Jenkins.
Darvin Ham Bulls Coaching Odds (+400)
Another former NBA head coach that could be targeted in Chicago is Darvin Ham, who went 90-74 with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2022-23 to 2023-24. While Ham took the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals during his first season with the club, he was run out of town after the Lakers were bounced in the first round the following season.
Still, Ham brings a championship pedigree to the table, having served on Mike Budenholzer’s NBA title team in 2021, though he’ll be a hot commodity this offseason, with the New Orleans Pelicans (and possibly the Orlando Magic) pursuing him this offseason.
There’s also some question about how Ham’s system would work with the Bulls’ glut of young guards, though his past success with the Lakers should ease those worries if he’s the man to replace Donovan.
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Sam Cassell Bulls Head Coach Odds (+550)
Another longtime NBA assistant that might land in Chicago as a first-time head coach is former backcourt mainstay Sam Cassell, who has been an assistant with the Boston Celtics since 2023 after stops with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers from 2008 onwards.
Cassell has been a top four NBA assistant coach in the league’s GM survey three years in a row and has been thrown out as a Bulls head coaching candidate by multiple outlets, while having the chops as an All-Star guard himself to shepherd Chicago’s backcourt talent into the future.
The only thing holding him back is Cassell’s lack of head coaching experience, which is why he’s listed at +550 on our Bulls odds board, though he’s definitely paid his dues on the bench with the Celtics, Sixers, Clippers and Wizards.
Chicago Bulls Head Coach Dark Horses & The Field (+350)
Outside of top four names listed above, keep an eye on former Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (+600), as well as Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori (+700) and New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego (+800) with regards to Chicago’s coaching search.
Given the Bulls’ youthful core of Giddey, Simons and Dillingham, along with the team’s pair of first round draft picks in 2026, it seems like Chicago’s opening should have plenty of suitors this offseason, with the once-proud franchise seeking a return to relevance after a four-year sojourn through the abyss of watching the sport’s postseason on TV like the rest of us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the favorite to be the next Chicago Bulls head coach?
Taylor Jenkins is the current favorite at +275. The former Memphis Grizzlies head coach is regarded as the top available coach on the market, though the Milwaukee Bucks are also in serious pursuit.
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