After a successful season as interim coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Tiago Splitter is set for a promotion—though not in Portland.
Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, thanks in part to Tiago Splitter. The 41-year-old took over as interim coach of the Blazers under the most unfavorable circumstances imaginable.
After the first game of the newly started season in mid-October, his then-supervisor, Head Coach Chauncey Billups, was suspended due to his involvement in a scandal involving illegal poker games. Assistant Coach Splitter was promoted to interim head coach and led Portland to a 42-40 overall record. Following a victory in the play-in tournament, the team even advanced to the first round of the playoffs, where they lost 1-4 to the eventual finalists, the San Antonio Spurs.
However, an automatic promotion to head coach did not materialize; instead, that job now awaits him in Chicago. As ESPN reported on Monday evening, the Chicago Bulls have reached an agreement with Splitter: The Brazilian is set to become the new head coach of the storied franchise from the Windy City.
New Bulls Coach Popular with Players
The Bulls, meanwhile, finished the past season with a record of 31 wins and 51 losses, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. As a result, Billy Donovan had to leave his position on the sidelines after six years and just one playoff appearance.
Now Splitter is taking over at the six-time champion; in the hiring process, he apparently prevailed over Micah Nori (assistant coach with the Timberwolves), Ryan Schmidt (assistant coach with the Hawks), and former Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr., among others.
According to the report, several players in Portland had also spoken out in favor of Splitter’s promotion, but that will not happen now. Before his coaching career, Splitter played in the NBA for seven years, winning the championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. As a center, he averaged 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
