Examining The Top Candidates For The Chicago Bulls’ Head Coaching Job

The Chicago Bulls fired head coach Jim Boylen just over two weeks ago, and now they’re embarking on their first legitimate coaching search since hiring Tom Thibodeau in 2010.

A number of names were reported as candidates in the immediate wake of Boylen’s firing, including Ime Udoka, Kenny Atkinson, Adrian Griffin, Darvin Ham, Wes Unseld Jr. and Stephen Silas. The Bulls likely have even more names on their candidate list as they cast a wide net.

BetOnline recently released odds for the next Bulls coach, so let’s take a look at the top candidates on the board.

Ime Udoka (+250)

Ime Udoka was reported as the early favorite by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, so it’s no surprise that he’s the betting favorite. Udoka spent this past season on Brett Brown’s staff with the Philadelphia 76ers and was one of the highest-paid assistants in the NBA after spending seven years under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.

Udoka is a candidate for the open Sixers job after Brown’s firing, but the franchise may want to start fresh. While the Sixers’ season was a disaster, this shouldn’t affect Udoka’s candidacy too much given the circumstances in Philadelphia. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice does note, though, that it didn’t seem as if Udoka was able to influence the team enough as the top assistant and that he played a “good cop” role in San Antonio.

The 43-year-old has ties to new Bulls general manager Marc Eversley. Udoka’s status as a former player who can connect and build relationships with a young Bulls squad is attractive, no matter what happened in Philly.

Kenny Atkinson (+350)

Kenny Atkinson’s 118-190 record as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets isn’t impressive, but he was lauded for creating a strong culture during their rebuild. The Nets were a surprise playoff team under Atkinson in 2018-19, which helped them land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last summer.

Unfortunately for him, Durant and Irving reportedly didn’t mesh well with Atkinson. This helped lead to the coach’s exit in the middle of this season.

It was certainly an unceremonious exit from Brooklyn for Atkinson, but the track record of player development on his watch was stellar. Furthermore, the Bulls hired assistant coach Chris Fleming off Atkinson’s coaching staff last offseason, so there’s familiarity there.

Adrian Griffin (+400)

Adrian Griffin has history in Chicago as both a player and coach. The 46-year-old had two different playing stints with the Bulls, and he was on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff throughout Thibs’ five-year tenure.

Griffin has been around the block as an assistant. Including the Bulls, he has also spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City and Toronto Raptors. He won a championship ring on Nick Nurse’s staff in 2019 and has a history of connecting with players, including former Bulls star Jimmy Butler. Griffin also played at Seton Hill with new Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.

Griffin’s candidacy is marred by disturbing allegations of domestic violence by his ex-wife. The coach has vehemently denied these allegations, but the Bulls might want to stay away regardless.

Tyronn Lue (+400)

Tyronn Lue is a high-profile candidate for a number of jobs, including the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and perhaps even the Houston Rockets if Mike D’Antoni doesn’t return.

The 43-year-old won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and is the top assistant on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Los Angeles Clippers. Lue wants $7 million per season at his next job, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

While Lue is reportedly “monitoring” the Bulls’ vacancy, it’s hard to see them ponying up the necessary cash to hire him. Still, they should explore his interest.

Brett Brown (+500)

Brett Brown coached the Sixers through “The Process” and appeared on the verge of leading them on deep playoff runs for years. Instead, Philadelphia never made it past the second round on Brown’s watch and faltered in a big way this season, resulting in his dismissal.

The Sixers’ failures this season weren’t all his fault, but he had his hand in them. There were issues with Jimmy Butler last season, and there were questions about accountability and roles in the locker room.

Brown still wouldn’t be a bad option for the Bulls, because he did help develop the Sixers through the years and was put in a tough spot this past season thanks to poor roster construction. However, it would be a surprise if he becomes the next head coach in Chicago.

Others

Nate McMillan (+600), Jason Kidd (+700), Darvin Ham (+800), Jeff Van Gundy (+800), Wes Unseld Jr. (+800), Mark Jackson (+900) and Becky Hammon (+1000) were the other candidates posted on BetOnline’s board.

McMillan isn’t looking for a head coaching job for next season, and it would be a shock if the Bulls hired somebody like Kidd, Van Gundy or Jackson. Becky Hammon would be a groundbreaking hire, but it seems as if Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are grooming her to take over there.

Unseld has direct ties to Arturas Karnisovas as an assistant coach on the Denver Nuggets, so he’s a candidate who makes sense. Ham is an up-and-coming assistant on a successful division rival in the Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s a former player.

Stephen Silas wasn’t on the board, but his season just finished up as an assistant under Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks. Silas has had a long career in the NBA and has the league in his blood.

The Bulls could very well be looking at other names as well, but some of these names are a good start as they try to find a coach to get the most out of their young core.