Billy Donovan didn’t leave the Bulls with a mystery hanging over it. He says the move came down to timing, trust, and a simple belief that Chicago’s next front office should be able to pick its own coach.
Donovan, now working as a lead assistant on Mitch Johnson’s staff with the San Antonio Spurs, said he had fully expected to be away from the game for a while after stepping down on April 21, 2026. Instead, the Spurs reached out during the playoffs, and the conversation quickly pulled him back in.
“I didn’t really know what was going to happen. I loved my time in Chicago.
I loved the ownership group. They were very kind, offered me the opportunity to stay on as coach, and even offered me the opportunity to move into the front office.”
He said the Bulls’ front office changes made the decision feel clear.
“But they had to bring in a new front office. And I just felt that with a new front office coming in, that person should have the freedom to choose their own coach and build out the organization how they see fit, which was fine,” Billy Donovan explained.
Donovan added that he had originally planned to step away for a year and spend time in Gainesville with his children. Then San Antonio called.
“And I really went in with the impression I was just going to be out for a year. Come over here to Gainesville to see my kids and spend the year doing that. And then San Antonio had called during the playoffs, and they thought they may lose some staff members.”
That led to a conversation with Johnson, whom Donovan said he respects.
“And I didn’t know what to really think of it, but after talking to Mitch Johnson, the head coach who I got a lot of respect for, I’m just hoping that in some way I can bring some value,” he further added.
Donovan said the new role has also given him a different perspective on his place in the room.
“The one thing I am starting to realize more and more, every time I go somewhere, I’m now the oldest guy, and that was never really the case. But that’s happening, and I’m hopeful that I’m helpful in some way.”
He also made clear that the Spurs’ season and their approach mattered to him.
“I love the game, and they’ve obviously had an unbelievable season. I think Mitch and his staff have done a great job, and I love being a part of the competition,” Billy Donovan said.
Donovan closed by framing the move as a chance to return the favor to coaches who helped him along the way.
“I’ve been a head coach since I was 28, and I’ve been fortunate to have so many coaches help and mentor me along the way, so maybe this is just a way of giving back. What the future holds I can’t tell you, but the people in San Antonio have been gracious and accommodating about it, so I’m very excited about it, and hopefully I can bring some value and help.” Donovan concluded.
The Bulls announced his departure in April after what Donovan described as “thoughtful and extensive discussions” with ownership. In that statement, he said he was stepping away so the team’s search process could move forward and so the new leader could build the staff.
During six seasons in Chicago, Donovan went 226-256, a .469 winning percentage. His coaching résumé stretches back to 1994 and includes a 19-year run with the Florida Gators, and now he’s landed in San Antonio in a support role behind a staff he says has done a great job.
This isn’t the first time the Spurs have been linked to him, either. According to Spurs reporter Dusty Garza, San Antonio once viewed Donovan as a possible replacement when Gregg Popovich was weighing a move to the front office and retirement.
Now, years later, Donovan is back on an NBA bench, saying the job is less about a headline role and more about contributing wherever he can.
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