Tiago Splitter’s first Bulls staff in Chicago is starting to look like a real command center, not just a collection of names on a page.
What began as an open question after the Billy Donovan era has now settled into something much more defined. The Chicago Bulls announced Splitter’s finalized 2026-27 coaching staff, and the big takeaway is clear: Wes Unseld Jr. is the lone holdover from the Donovan group. Everything else around Splitter has been reshaped during the 2026 NBA offseason.
Splitter also offered a peek behind the curtain in comments to CHSN’s K.C. Johnson, and the message was simple enough: this is his staff, built for his way of doing things. That matters because Splitter wasn’t just stepping into a head-coaching job in Chicago; he had already been elevated to acting head coach in Portland, giving him a chance to assemble the kind of bench he wanted.
On the offensive side, the names to watch are Blake Ahearn and Jonah Herscu. They are the voices most likely to steer the Bulls’ attack in 2026-27, and the fit makes sense.
Neither coach is tied to some sprawling, signature system. Instead, Ahearn’s approach leans on the basics that usually travel well: pick-and-rolls for the best players, ball movement, and enough shooting to keep the floor open.
The idea is to keep the offense free rather than load players down with too many decisions.
Ahearn’s best calling card came with the 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies, when he was part of Taylor Jenkins’ staff and helped guide a top-five NBA offense. That season also ended with Ja Morant winning NBA Most Improved Player.
Herscu, meanwhile, adds another layer of simplicity and practicality. He comes over directly from Splitter’s Portland Trail Blazers staff and brings a background as an advanced scout.
For the Bulls, that could matter just as much as any scheme. His value is in producing opponent scouting reports that are accurate and usable for the players on the floor.
Defensively, Jamelle McMillan looks like the staff’s anchor. He comes with a long NBA assistant-coaching résumé and ties to Bryson Graham’s New Orleans Pelicans legacy. He also carries a notable family connection: he’s the son of Nate McMillan, a 12-year NBA veteran, two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, and the 1993-94 NBA steals champion.
For Chicago, McMillan’s job is straightforward and demanding at the same time. He wants the Bulls to care about defense the way he does, and then he wants them to play it at the level he’s used to seeing in the league. His standard point of reference is Jrue Holiday, a two-time NBA champion and the benchmark McMillan uses for what elite defense looks like.
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Matas Buzelis Sees A Different Bulls Team Taking Shape
Matas Buzelis opened training camp sounding like a young player who has already felt the difference between a team searching for answers and one trying to build something sturdier. After a season in which Chicago was sorting through change, the second-year forward said the tone around the organization has shifted, with more intensity and a clearer sense of purpose as the Bulls move through an overhaul and into a new phase of the rebuild.
Buzelis also spoke with the patience of someone focused on the long game, stressing that his own approach is to keep improving every day and help wherever he can. For a roster trying to establish itself, that matters as much as any single skill point. The real test now is whether the early signs of order and accountability can hold once the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Jordan Weighed In On A Bulls Reality Fans Know Too Well
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Jordan also touched on how different the current landscape would feel for players now, with social media adding a layer of scrutiny his era never had to deal with. For a franchise still measured against his shadow, the comments hit on a reality Chicago knows well, even if the details of how he would navigate todays betting-heavy environment remain his to spell out another time. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Preseason Opener Already Puts Their Rebuild Under Pressure
The Bulls are barely into preseason, and the mood around the opener against the Suns already feels more about survival than evaluation. Before the first practice even got going, Zach Collins was hurt, while Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis are expected to get the first look in the starting group as Chicago begins sorting through a roster that still has more questions than answers.
Chicago also moved quickly to address its depth, bringing in Jordan Hawkins to fill the last roster spot. The early injuries only sharpen the pressure on a team trying to make its rebuild look like progress, and the next few days will say plenty about how much the Bulls can learn before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]