Tiago Splitter Named New Chicago Bulls Head Coach

Former Brazilian center Tiago Splitter was announced Tuesday as the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls. The team confirmed the news, and in line with their usual policy, did not disclose contract details such as duration or salary.

Splitter thus becomes the first Brazilian to start an NBA season as a head coach. The 41-year-old previously took over as interim head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers last season, accumulating 42 wins in 81 games.

Bryson Graham, the Bulls' Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, praised the selection: «We are thrilled to welcome Tiago. Throughout our process, he stood out for his basketball intelligence, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete.» Graham added that Splitter's vision is «ideal for a young team» and that his winning experience as both a player and coach across multiple continents was a decisive factor.

The new Bulls coach expressed his enthusiasm for the challenge. «The Bulls represent everything I love about this sport: a proud tradition, a passionate city, and a young, ambitious group of players ready to grow. I am grateful for the trust this organization has placed in me and I can't wait to get to work in Chicago,» Splitter stated.

In a recent interview, the Brazilian recalled his childhood admiration for the team, marked by the era of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. «We grew up watching the Bulls. I remember as a kid, I wanted to have hair like Scottie Pippen,» he confessed, emphasizing the global impact Jordan had on basketball, taking the sport «to the four corners of the world,» including his hometown of Blumenau.

Tiago Splitter's coaching career in the NBA began as a professional scout for the Brooklyn Nets, where he later became an assistant coach between 2019 and 2023. In the 2023-24 season, he served in the same role for the Houston Rockets. Last June, he was hired as an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers, taking over as head coach four months later after Chauncey Billups' arrest for involvement in illegal gambling.

Under his leadership, the Trail Blazers excelled in several statistics, ranking among the league's best teams in offensive rebounds per game (2nd), total rebounds per game (6th), and three-pointers made per game (7th). The team also showed strong defense, allowing the sixth-fewest opponent three-pointers and ranking fifth in blocks per game.