High Five: Who are the best head coaches in Bulls history?
Now that the Bulls signed head coach Billy Donovan to a contract extension, we know who will lead the troops through this continued era of mediocrity.
The Bulls have had their share of rotten and elite coaches through the decades, literally some of the best and worst in NBA history.
This week’s High Five looks back at the best coaches in franchise history, topped by a no-brainer.
5. Scott Skiles, 2003-07
Some may cringe at Skiles being on the list, but the choices aren’t great.
The Bulls made the playoffs three times in four-plus seasons under Skiles, who was fired after a disappointing 9-16 start in 2007.
The highlight of Skiles’ Bulls tenure came the season before he was fired. They were 49-33 in 2006-07, finishing third in the Central Division. After sweeping Miami in the opening round of they playoffs, the Bulls fell to Detroit.
It was the franchise’s first playoff series win since the last title run in 1998.
4. Doug Collins, 1986-89
Five years after retiring from an NBA playing career — and following a break from being a college assistant to become a broadcaster — the Bulls hired Collins to take Michael Jordan and Co. to the next level.
While the Bulls made the playoffs in all three years with Collins, they never made it past the Eastern Conference finals. They lost to dreaded Detroit in 1989.
Collins was fired after that season and replaced by a Bulls assistant named Phil Jackson.
3. Dick Motta, 1968-76
Motta, who turns 94 in September, began his long NBA coaching career in Chicago and spent eight seasons with the Bulls.
From 1970 to 1975, the Bulls finished second in the Midwest Division four times and won the division in 1974-75. Twice the Bulls lost in the conference finals.
Motta won 356 of his 935 career games with the Bulls while reaching the playoffs six times. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1970-71.
2. Tom Thibodeau, 2010-15
A large chunk of Bulls fans still wonder why Thibs isn’t coaching the team right now.
A taskmaster fired by the Knicks after last season (even though they reached the Eastern Conference finals), Thibodeau powered the Bulls through their most-successful era since the two three-peats.
The Bulls won two Central Division titles under Thibodeau, never finished lower than second and reached the playoffs in all five seasons he was at the helm. The Bulls won 50 games in 2014-15 but management let him go.
Thibodeau’s Bulls teams had a .647 winning percentage, second in franchise history to the guy who replaced Collins.
1. Phil Jackson, 1989-98
It obviously helped having Jordan, Scottie Pippen and a remarkable supporting cast, but Jackson elevated the Bulls to levels not seen before in the NBA.
The Bulls won six NBA titles in eight seasons and probably would’ve won more if not for Jordan’s temporary retirement and the breakup of the team after the second three-peat.
Jackson, who won 545 games with a .738 winning percentage with the Bulls, went on to claim five more titles with the Lakers. Between playing and coaching, Jackson notched 13 NBA championships.