The Chicago Bulls hired Tiago Splitter as their head coach, the team announced Tuesday.
Splitter spent last season as the Portland Trail Blazers' interim head coach. In Chicago, he'll succeed Billy Donovan, who stepped down in April.
"Tiago stood apart for his basketball intellect, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete every single night," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham said in a statement. "He has won at every level of the game as both a player and a coach, on multiple continents, and we believe his vision is the right fit for our young roster."
The 41-year-old Splitter beat out Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt, and Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr. for the role, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook are the finalists to replace Splitter in Portland, Charania reports.
Splitter guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a playoff berth as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. He was named interim head coach after Chauncey Billups was arrested for his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling ring.
Splitter played seven seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers before becoming a scout and eventually a coach. He won a championship with the Spurs in 2014 as a player.
The Bulls went 31-51 last season and missed the playoffs.
