[Saba Sports News] The Chicago Bulls officially announced the other day that Tiago Splitter, former interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, has been appointed as the team’s new head coach. Former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan tendered his resignation and turned down an off-court front office position offered by the Bulls after six seasons at the helm, during which the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for four straight years. The Bulls ultimately settled on Splitter as their new head coach. Reports indicate the Bulls front office believes Splitter excels at nurturing young talent, aligning the squad around a unified direction and vision, and highly values the leadership acumen and coaching expertise he has built since 2018. Splitter enjoyed a seven-year playing career in the NBA and claimed an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs. The championship-winning center turned professional coach guided a French LNB Pro A side to a title following his retirement. He joined the Brooklyn Nets as a scout in 2018, moved up to player development coach in 2020, and linked up with Ime Udoka’s Houston Rockets coaching staff in 2023.
The editor believes that Tiago Splitter stepped in as the interim head coach of the Trail Blazers last season, leading the team to seventh place in the Western Conference and securing a playoff berth via the play-in tournament. Having proven his coaching capabilities, Splitter has now been named the new head coach of the Bulls.