List of Chicago Bulls head coaches
Encyclopedia
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 are coached by Tom Thibodeau
. They play their home games in the United Center
. The Bulls first joined the NBA in the 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 coach
es 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.
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Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the .
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
are an American professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are a member of the Central Division
Central Division (NBA)
The Central Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks...
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
and are coached by Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau is an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics....
. They play their home games in the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
. The Bulls first joined the NBA in the as an expansion team. Coached by Johnny Kerr
Johnny Kerr
John G. “Red” Kerr was an American basketball player, coach, and color commentator. He played in the NBA from 1954 to 1966, mainly as a member of the Syracuse Nationals...
, 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
1991 NBA Finals
The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1990–91 NBA season. It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS....
while coached by Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
. They won five additional NBA championships in the 1990s under Jackson.
There have been 21 head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
es 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
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
are the only Bulls coaches to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Kerr, Dick Motta
Dick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories....
, Jackson, and Thibodeau have won NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
with the team. Ed Badger
Ed Badger
Ed Badger is a former professional basketball coach.He coached the Chicago Bulls for two seasons, from 1976 to 1978. He later would coach the University of Cincinnati Bearcats' men's basketball team from 1978 to 1983.-External links:*...
, Bill Berry
Bill Berry (basketball)
Bill Berry is a basketball coach who coached two games for the Chicago Bulls on an interim basis, during the 2001-2002 season. An assistant for the Bulls at the time, he was named as interim head coach when Tim Floyd left the team, and was soon after replaced by Bill Cartwright. The Bulls lost...
, Bill Cartwright, Pete Myers
Pete Myers
Peter E. Myers is an American former professional basketball player and an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.-NBA career:Myers played in the NBA from 1986 to 1991 and also from 1994 to 1998...
and Jim Boylan
Jim Boylan
Jim Boylan is an American basketball coach. He served as the interim head coach for the Chicago Bulls until he was dismissed on April 17, 2008. The Milwaukee Bucks hired him as an assistant coach on May 14, 2008.- Playing career :...
have all spent their entire NBA head coaching careers with the Bulls. Sloan, Cartwright, and Myers formerly played for the Bulls.
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Key
| GC | Games coached |
| W | Wins |
| L | Losses |
| Win% | Winning percentage Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
| # | Number of coaches |
| * | Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Bulls |
| Elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach | |
Coaches
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | Achievements | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
| 11 | – | 163 | 62 | 101 | .380 | 8 | 1 | 7 | .125 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... |
||
| 22 | – | 656 | 356 | 300 | .543 | 47 | 18 | 29 | .383 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... |
||
| 33 | * | – | 164 | 84 | 80 | .512 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | ||
| 44 | 56 | 20 | 36 | .357 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 55 | 26 | 11 | 15 | .423 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 66 | – | 215 | 94 | 121 | .437 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | |||
| 77 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 88 | 30 | 15 | 15 | .500 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 99 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1010 | – | 164 | 65 | 99 | .396 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | |||
| 1111 | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | ||||
| 1212 | – | 246 | 137 | 109 | .557 | 30 | 13 | 17 | .433 | |||
| 1313 | – | 738 | 545 | 193 | .738 | 152 | 111 | 41 | .730 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... 6 championships NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986.... (1991 1991 NBA Finals The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1990–91 NBA season. It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS.... , 1992 1992 NBA Finals The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991–92 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference took on the Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA.The two teams appeared... , 1993 1993 NBA Finals The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley... , 1996 1996 NBA Finals The 1996 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1995-96 NBA season of the National Basketball Association. The Seattle SuperSonics of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference, with the Bulls holding home court advantage... , 1997 1997 NBA Finals The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA Playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Utah Jazz of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage... , 1998 1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference played against the Utah Jazz of the Western Conference, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage with the first 2 games in Salt Lake City... ) One of the top 10 coaches in NBA history |
||
| 1414 | – | 239 | 49 | 190 | .205 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1515 | * | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1616 | * | – | 151 | 51 | 100 | .338 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1717 | * | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1818 | – | 337 | 165 | 172 | .490 | 22 | 10 | 12 | .455 | |||
| 19— | * | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2019 | * | 56 | 24 | 32 | .429 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2120 | – | 164 | 82 | 82 | .500 | 12 | 4 | 8 | .333 | |||
| 2221 | * | –present | 82 | 62 | 20 | .756 | 16 | 9 | 7 | .563 | NBA Coach of the Year NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966... |
|