The Chicago Bulls have found their replacement for Jim Boylen, as the team has hired Billy Donovan as their next head coach.
Donovan, who was previously the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, will now take over a Bulls team that has seen massive turnover in its front office and coaching staff in recent months.
The story was reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and was later confirmed by the Bulls:
“We are very pleased to welcome Billy and his family to the Chicago Bulls,” Bulls VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas said in a statement. “The success that he has sustained over the course of his coaching career puts him on a different level. We feel his ability to help his players reach their potential, both individually and collectively, will mesh well with our roster.”
Karnisovas, who replaced John Paxson in the executive VP role, has been busy this offseason, bringing in Marc Eversley to serve as the team's general manager, and has now replaced Boylen with Donovan.
Donovan spent nearly 20 seasons with the Florida Gators, winning a pair of national championships and leading his team to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in four of his final five years in Gainesville.
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After the 2014-15 season, Donovan left Florida to become the head coach of the Thunder. He led the team to five straight playoff appearances, but after four straight first round exits, he parted ways with the team earlier this summer.
