The Chicago Bulls are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and have three-peated the NBA championship twice. The Bulls are the fourth-most successful franchise in NBA history with six championship wins. They are the only champion team to have never lost the NBA final.
Many masterminds have contributed to the Bulls’ legacy from the sidelines. Here’s a list of every Bulls head coach throughout NBA history.
Bulls’ Early Years
- Johnny “Red” Kerr (1966–1968): As the Bulls’ inaugural head coach, Kerr led the team to the playoffs in their first season. He managed a 62–101 record over two seasons. He was named the Coach of the Year for the 1966-67 season.
- Dick Motta (1968–1976): Motta guided the Bulls to multiple playoff appearances. He earned the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1971 and led the team to the Western Conference Finals in 1974 and 1975. His tenure ended with a 356–300 regular-season record.
- Ed Badger (1976–1978): Badger led the Bulls to a playoff appearance in his first season. He logged off with an 84-80 record.
- Larry Costello (1978–1979): Costello posted a 20-36 record before resigning mid-season.
- Scotty Robertson (1979): Robertson filled in for Costello and managed an 11-15 record in his tenure.
- Jerry Sloan (1979–1982): Sloan led the Bulls to the Conference Semifinals in his second season. He managed a 94–121 record over three seasons.
- Phil Johnson (1982): Johnson was the Bulls’ coach for only one game, which he lost.
- Rod Thorn (1982): Thorn served as an interim coach of the Bulls and achieved a 15-15 record.
- Paul Westhead (1982–1983): Westhead’s only season with the Bulls saw the franchise posting a 28-54 record.
- Kevin Loughery (1983–1985): Loughery coached the Bulls to a 65–99 record over two seasons. The franchise made one postseason appearance under his reign.
- Stan Albeck (1985–1986): Albeck led the Bulls to a 30–52 record and a playoff appearance. Michael Jordan won the Rookie of the Year award in Albeck’s second and final season as the Bulls’ head coach.
Chicago Bulls’ Golden Era
- Doug Collins (1986–1989): The Bulls made it to the postseason in all three seasons under Collins. He led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989. Collins achieved a 137-109 record during his tenure.
- Phil Jackson (1989–1998): Jackson was promoted from assistant coach, a decision that proved to be the best in the Bulls’ history. Jackson’s triangle offense was no match for any team in the league. He led the franchise to six championships (1991–1993, 1996–1998), completing a three-peat twice. He boasts an incredible 545-193 record in the regular season and 111-41 in the postseason.
𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟎, 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟗
The Chicago Bulls hire Phil Jackson as the Head Coach.
During his time with the Bulls he managed 545 wins, 9 trips to the playoffs, and 6 NBA titles.
pic.twitter.com/zDpOziXCGl— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) July 10, 2022
Transition and Rebuild
- Tim Floyd (1998–2001): Floyd took charge of the Bulls in the post-Jordan era. The franchise began its rebuild as Floyd posted a 49–190 record over three seasons.
- Bill Berry (2001): Berry took control of the Bulls for only two games, losing both.
- Bill Cartwright (2001–2003): Cartwright took over the rebuilding control from Floyd and posted a 51-100 record.
- Pete Myers (2003, 2007): Myers coached the Bulls for only three games in two different stints, losing all of them.
- Scott Skiles (2003–2007): Skiles took the Bulls to the playoffs after six years. However, they couldn’t go past the first round in his first two seasons and the Conference Semifinals in his third season. He achieved a 165-172 record during his tenure.
- Jim Boylan (2007–2008): Boylan served as an interim coach, achieving a 24-32 record during his brief stay with the Bulls.
- Vinny Del Negro (2008–2010): Del Negro led the Bulls to back-to-back playoff appearances, securing an 82–82 record over two seasons.
- Tom Thibodeau (2010–2015): Thibodeau led the Bulls to a league-best 62–20 record in his first season and won the NBA Coach of the Year award. He maintained a 255–139 regular-season record and a 23–28 playoff record over five seasons. The Bulls made it to the playoffs in every season during his tenure, going as far as the Conference Finals.
- Fred Hoiberg (2015–2018): Hoiberg coached the Bulls for three seasons, posting a 115-155 record. The franchise made only one postseason appearance in the Hoiberg era.
- Jim Boylen (2018–2020): Boylen took charge of a rebuilding and struggling Bulls side. He posted a 39-84 record as the Bulls avoided the postseason during his reign.
The Billy Donovan Era
- Billy Donovan (2020–Present): Donovan led the Bulls to a postseason appearance in his second season. The franchise has managed to book a spot in the play-in tournament in each of the last three seasons, but has failed to reach the playoffs every time.
The Bulls haven’t tasted glory since Phil Jackson led them to six NBA championships. After various transition phases and rebuilds, they are hungrier than ever for a title.
