List of Chicago Bulls head coaches
Updated: 11/6/2025, 2:06:36 AM Wikipedia source
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf and Billy Donovan is the current head coach. They play their home games in the United Center. The Bulls first joined the NBA in the 1966–67 season as an expansion team. Coached by Johnny Kerr, the team finished its first season with a 33–48 record, the best record achieved by an expansion team in its first year of play, and secured a playoff berth. The Bulls won their first NBA championship in the 1991 NBA Finals while coached by Phil Jackson. They won five additional NBA championships in the 1990s under Jackson. There have been 21 head coaches for the Bulls franchise. Phil Jackson is also the franchise's all-time leader in regular season games coached, regular season games won, playoff games coached, and playoff games won. Jackson and Jerry Sloan are the only Bulls coaches to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Kerr, Dick Motta, Jackson, and Thibodeau have won NBA Coach of the Year with the team. Ed Badger, Bill Berry, Bill Cartwright, Pete Myers and Jim Boylan have all spent their entire NBA head coaching careers with the Bulls. Sloan, Cartwright, and Myers formerly played for the Bulls.
Tables
· Key
W
W
GC
W
Games coached
Wins
L
L
GC
L
Games coached
Losses
Win%
Win%
GC
Win%
Games coached
Winning percentage
#
#
GC
#
Games coached
Number of coaches .mw- [a]
†
†
GC
†
Games coached
Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach
| GC | Games coached |
| W | Wins |
| L | Losses |
| Win% | Winning percentage |
| # | Number of coaches [a] |
| Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Bulls | |
| † | Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach |
· Coaches
Playoffs
Playoffs
#
Regular season
Name
Playoffs
Johnny Kerr
1966
1966–1968
Johnny Kerr
#
1
Name
Johnny Kerr
Term[b]
1966–1968
GC
163
W
62
L
101
Win%
380
GC
8
W
1
L
7
Win%
125
Achievements
1966–67 NBA Coach of the Year
Dick Motta
1968
1968–1976
Dick Motta
#
2
Name
Dick Motta
Term[b]
1968–1976
GC
656
W
356
L
300
Win%
543
GC
47
W
18
L
29
Win%
383
Achievements
1970–71 NBA Coach of the Year
Ed Badger*
1976
1976–1978
Ed Badger*
#
3
Name
Ed Badger*
Term[b]
1976–1978
GC
164
W
84
L
80
Win%
512
GC
3
W
1
L
2
Win%
333
Larry Costello
1978
1978–1979
Larry Costello
#
4
Name
Larry Costello
Term[b]
1978–1979
GC
56
W
20
L
36
Win%
357
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Scotty Robertson
Scotty Robertson
#
5
Name
Scotty Robertson
Term[b]
1979
GC
26
W
11
L
15
Win%
423
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Jerry Sloan†
1979
1979–1982
Jerry Sloan†
#
6
Name
Jerry Sloan†
Term[b]
1979–1982
GC
215
W
94
L
121
Win%
437
GC
6
W
2
L
4
Win%
333
Phil Johnson
Phil Johnson
#
7
Name
Phil Johnson
Term[b]
1982
GC
1
W
0
L
1
Win%
000
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Rod Thorn
Rod Thorn
#
8
Name
Rod Thorn
Term[b]
1982
GC
30
W
15
L
15
Win%
500
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Paul Westhead
1982
1982–1983
Paul Westhead
#
9
Name
Paul Westhead
Term[b]
1982–1983
GC
82
W
28
L
54
Win%
341
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Kevin Loughery
1983
1983–1985
Kevin Loughery
#
10
Name
Kevin Loughery
Term[b]
1983–1985
GC
164
W
65
L
99
Win%
396
GC
4
W
1
L
3
Win%
250
Stan Albeck
1985
1985–1986
Stan Albeck
#
11
Name
Stan Albeck
Term[b]
1985–1986
GC
82
W
30
L
52
Win%
366
GC
3
W
0
L
3
Win%
000
Doug Collins
1986
1986–1989
Doug Collins
#
12
Name
Doug Collins
Term[b]
1986–1989
GC
246
W
137
L
109
Win%
557
GC
30
W
13
L
17
Win%
433
Phil Jackson
1989
1989–1998
Phil Jackson
#
13
Name
Phil Jackson
Term[b]
1989–1998
GC
738
W
545
L
193
Win%
738
GC
152
W
111
L
41
Win%
730
Achievements
1995–96 NBA Coach of the Year 6 championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history
Tim Floyd
1998
1998–2001
Tim Floyd
#
14
Name
Tim Floyd
Term[b]
1998–2001
GC
239
W
49
L
190
Win%
205
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Bill Berry*
Bill Berry*
#
15
Name
Bill Berry*
Term[b]
2001
GC
2
W
0
L
2
Win%
000
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Bill Cartwright*
2001
2001–2003
Bill Cartwright*
#
16
Name
Bill Cartwright*
Term[b]
2001–2003
GC
151
W
51
L
100
Win%
336
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Pete Myers*
Pete Myers*
#
17
Name
Pete Myers*
Term[b]
2003
GC
2
W
0
L
2
Win%
000
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Scott Skiles
2003
2003–2007
Scott Skiles
#
18
Name
Scott Skiles
Term[b]
2003–2007
GC
337
W
165
L
172
Win%
490
GC
22
W
10
L
12
Win%
455
Pete Myers*
Pete Myers*
#
—
Name
Pete Myers*
Term[b]
2007
GC
1
W
0
L
1
Win%
000
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Jim Boylan
2007
2007–2008
Jim Boylan
#
19
Name
Jim Boylan
Term[b]
2007–2008
GC
56
W
24
L
32
Win%
429
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
—
Vinny Del Negro
2008
2008–2010
Vinny Del Negro
#
20
Name
Vinny Del Negro
Term[b]
2008–2010
GC
164
W
82
L
82
Win%
500
GC
12
W
4
L
8
Win%
333
Tom Thibodeau
2010
2010–2015
Tom Thibodeau
#
21
Name
Tom Thibodeau
Term[b]
2010–2015
GC
394
W
255
L
139
Win%
647
GC
51
W
23
L
28
Win%
451
Achievements
2010–11 NBA Coach of the Year
Fred Hoiberg*
2015
2015–2018
Fred Hoiberg*
#
22
Name
Fred Hoiberg*
Term[b]
2015–2018
GC
270
W
115
L
155
Win%
426
GC
6
W
2
L
4
Win%
333
Jim Boylen*
2018
2018–2020
Jim Boylen*
#
23
Name
Jim Boylen*
Term[b]
2018–2020
GC
123
W
39
L
84
Win%
317
GC
—
W
—
L
—
Win%
–
Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
#
24
Name
Billy Donovan
Term[b]
2020–present
GC
400
W
200
L
205
Win%
494
GC
5
W
1
L
4
Win%
200
| # | Name | Term[b] | GC | W | L | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | Achievements | Reference |
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
| 1 | Johnny Kerr | 1966–1968 | 163 | 62 | 101 | 380 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 125 | 1966–67 NBA Coach of the Year | |
| 2 | Dick Motta | 1968–1976 | 656 | 356 | 300 | 543 | 47 | 18 | 29 | 383 | 1970–71 NBA Coach of the Year | |
| 3 | Ed Badger* | 1976–1978 | 164 | 84 | 80 | 512 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 333 | ||
| 4 | Larry Costello | 1978–1979 | 56 | 20 | 36 | 357 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 5 | Scotty Robertson | 1979 | 26 | 11 | 15 | 423 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 6 | Jerry Sloan† | 1979–1982 | 215 | 94 | 121 | 437 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 333 | ||
| 7 | Phil Johnson | 1982 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 000 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 8 | Rod Thorn | 1982 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 500 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 9 | Paul Westhead | 1982–1983 | 82 | 28 | 54 | 341 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 10 | Kevin Loughery | 1983–1985 | 164 | 65 | 99 | 396 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 250 | ||
| 11 | Stan Albeck | 1985–1986 | 82 | 30 | 52 | 366 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 000 | ||
| 12 | Doug Collins | 1986–1989 | 246 | 137 | 109 | 557 | 30 | 13 | 17 | 433 | ||
| 13 | Phil Jackson | 1989–1998 | 738 | 545 | 193 | 738 | 152 | 111 | 41 | 730 | 1995–96 NBA Coach of the Year 6 championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history | |
| 14 | Tim Floyd | 1998–2001 | 239 | 49 | 190 | 205 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 15 | Bill Berry* | 2001 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 000 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 16 | Bill Cartwright* | 2001–2003 | 151 | 51 | 100 | 336 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 17 | Pete Myers* | 2003 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 000 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 18 | Scott Skiles | 2003–2007 | 337 | 165 | 172 | 490 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 455 | ||
| — | Pete Myers* | 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 000 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 19 | Jim Boylan | 2007–2008 | 56 | 24 | 32 | 429 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 20 | Vinny Del Negro | 2008–2010 | 164 | 82 | 82 | 500 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 333 | ||
| 21 | Tom Thibodeau | 2010–2015 | 394 | 255 | 139 | 647 | 51 | 23 | 28 | 451 | 2010–11 NBA Coach of the Year | |
| 22 | Fred Hoiberg* | 2015–2018 | 270 | 115 | 155 | 426 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 333 | ||
| 23 | Jim Boylen* | 2018–2020 | 123 | 39 | 84 | 317 | — | — | — | – | ||
| 24 | Billy Donovan | 2020–present | 400 | 200 | 205 | 494 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 200 | ||
References
- NBA.comhttp://www.nba.com/bulls/history/Chicago_Bulls_History-24393-42.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/jacksph01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/sloanje01c.html
- NBA.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20100915001144/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/badgeed99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/berrybi99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/cartwbi01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/myerspe01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/boylaji99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sloanje01.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartwbi01.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/myerspe01.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/kerrre01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/mottadi99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/costela01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/robersc99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/johnsph99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/thornro01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/westhpa99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/loughke01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/albecst99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/collido01c.html
- NBA.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20100119011709/http://www.nba.com/history/top_10_coaches.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/floydti99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/skilesc01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/delnevi01c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/thiboto99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/hoibefr99c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/boyleji02c.html
- basketball-reference.comhttps://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/donovbi99c.html