Author: rb809rb

Tiago Splitter joined the Bulls after coaching the Trail Blazers last season.

Chicago Bulls Head Coach Tiago Splitter has finalized his coaching staff for the 2026-27 NBA season, with Wes Unseld Jr. returning as an Assistant Coach and Blake Ahearn, Jamelle McMillan, Rex Kalamian, Jonah Herscu and Taj Gibson joining the Bulls as Assistant Coaches. Martin Rancik has been promoted to Senior Player Development Coach, while Jordan Brink has been named Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development and Pete Crawford and LD Williams return as Player Development Coaches. Jeremiah Bonsu has been elevated to Head Video Coordinator and Micah Burno to Assistant Video Coordinator, with Brandon Leftwich, Delvon Johnson and Jayden Hardaway joining the staff as Video Coordinators.

Wes Unseld Jr. enters his third season as an Assistant Coach with the Bulls. Prior to joining Chicago, he spent three seasons as the Head Coach of the Washington Wizards (2021-24) with additional Assistant Coach roles with the Denver Nuggets (2015-21), Orlando Magic (2012-14) and Golden State Warriors (2011-12). Unseld Jr. began his NBA career in 1997 as an Advance/Pro Scout with the Wizards and was later promoted to Assistant Coach status with Washington between 2005 and 2011. Preceding his professional coaching career, the Baltimore native played collegiately at Johns Hopkins University.

Blake Ahearn begins his tenure with Chicago as an Assistant Coach after spending four seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Memphis Grizzlies (2020-24). Prior to Memphis, he served three seasons as Head Coach of the Austin Spurs (2017-20), leading San Antonio’s G League affiliate to the 2018 NBA G League Championship. Ahearn played professionally for eight seasons, including NBA stints with the Miami Heat (2007-08), San Antonio Spurs (2008-09) and Utah Jazz (2011-12). Ahearn was named the 2007-08 NBA G League Rookie of the Year, a two-time NBA G League First Team selection (2009, 2012) and a 2015 NBA G League champion with the Santa Cruz Warriors. He also played internationally in Spain, Italy, China, Ukraine and Puerto Rico and held one-year positions as Head Coach at De Smet Jesuit and Clayton High School in his native St. Louis. Ahearn played collegiately at Missouri State (2003-07) and remains the NCAA’s all-time leader in free throw percentage (.946 FT%), while setting the single-season record (.975%) from the free-throw line as a freshman.

Jamelle McMillan enters his first season as an Assistant Coach for Chicago, following his three-year tenure as Assistant Coach/Player Development Coach with the Detroit Pistons while holding Head Coach duties for the Pistons G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise (2023-26). McMillan worked as an Assistant Coach with the Atlanta Hawks (2021-23) and Phoenix Suns (2018-19) after beginning his NBA career as a Coaching Intern with the New Orleans Pelicans before consecutive promotions to a Player Development Coach and Assistant Coach (2012-18). McMillan played four seasons at Arizona State University (2007-11) while earning his bachelor’s degree in business and corporate communications. A native of Seattle, McMillan also spent one year as the Director of Basketball Operations at Drake University (2011-12).

Rex Kalamian joins the Bulls Assistant Coach group after three seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Milwaukee Bucks (2023-26). Prior to Milwaukee, Kalamian served as an Assistant Coach for the Detroit Pistons (2021-23), Sacramento Kings (2020-21, 2007-09), Los Angeles Clippers (2018-20, 1995-2003), Toronto Raptors (2015-18), Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-15), Minnesota Timberwolves (2005-07) and Denver Nuggets (2004-05). Kalamian has been a part of three NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs (2012, 2014, 2024) and began his NBA career as a scout for the Clippers (1992-95) and Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04). An Armenian-American raised in Los Angeles, Kalamian was named Head Coach of the Armenian Men’s National Team in January of 2022. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cal Poly Pomona after playing collegiately at East Los Angeles College.

Jonah Herscu starts his Bulls tenure as an Assistant Coach with Chicago. Herscu joins the Bulls with 19 years of experience across the NBA, G League and WNBA, most recently as the Head Coach of the Rip City Remix (2025-26), the G League affiliate for the Portland Trail Blazers. Herscu served three years prior to that as an Assistant Coach for the Trail Blazers (2022-25). Herscu spent the 2021-22 season as an Assistant Coach with the Sacramento Kings following his time as an Advance Scout for the Kings for two years (2019-21). Herscu also spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers as an Advance Scout and Player Development Assistant (2018-19) and as an Assistant Video Coordinator (2016-18). The Amherst, Massachusetts native began his coaching career with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, in 2012 before joining the Chicago Bulls as a Video Intern (2013-15). He also worked for the Chicago Sky on their video and scouting staff and as an Assistant Coach. Herscu was named the Head Coach of the Romanian Men’s National Team in August of 2026.

Taj Gibson begins his NBA coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the Bulls. Gibson played in the NBA for 17 seasons, including seven-plus seasons with Chicago (2009-17) after he was selected 26th overall by the Bulls in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks through 1,012 NBA games with the Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, and earned an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection in 2009-10. In Bulls history, Gibson ranks fifth all-time in blocks (695), sixth in offensive rebounds (1,336), 10th in defensive rebounds (2,250), 10th in games played (562) and 12th in total rebounds (3,586). A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Gibson played collegiately for three seasons at the University of Southern California (2006-09) and ranks first all-time in school history in blocks (295).

Martin Rancik returns to Chicago for his seventh season with the organization and has been elevated to Senior Player Development Coach. Rancik was a Player Development Specialist for the Bulls from 2022-26, following two years as an Assistant Coach with the Windy City Bulls (2019-21) and one season as a Basketball Operations Associate with Chicago (2018-19). Prior to his time in the NBA, Rancik played professionally overseas from 2001-16 in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Greece and Italy while previously playing collegiately at Iowa State University for four seasons (1997-2001). Rancik attended St. Louis Park High School after moving to the United States from Slovakia in 1995 and has competed for the Slovakian Men’s National Team.

Jordan Brink joins the Bulls as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development. Brink brings 12 seasons of NBA coaching, player development and video experience, most recently serving as an Assistant Coach for the defending NBA champion New York Knicks during the 2025-26 season. Prior to that role, he spent two seasons in the Knicks player development program, serving as Assistant Director of Player Development in 2024-25 after working across video, analytics and player development the previous season. Before joining New York, Brink worked eight seasons with the Detroit Pistons as an Assistant/Player Development Coach and Head Video Coordinator (2015-23). A native of South Holland, Ill., Brink played collegiately at Calvin University, where he was named a Division III All-American while earning a bachelor’s degree in business.

Pete Crawford enters his fourth season as a Player Development Coach with the Bulls. He spent the previous seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks (2016-23). In six of those seasons, Crawford was an Assistant Video Coordinator for the Mavericks after spending his first year with Dallas as a Player Development Intern. Prior to his NBA experience, the Golden Valley, Minn. native played four seasons for the University of Minnesota Duluth (2010-14), where he was a team captain as a senior and played in 104 consecutive games, and later began his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Augustana University in 2014.

LD Williams is set to begin his third season as a Player Development Coach with Chicago. Williams was an Assistant Coach for the Long Island Nets for the 2023-24 season, after spending two years with the Brooklyn Nets as a Video Assistant and Player Development Assistant (2021-23). After a four-year collegiate playing career at Wake Forest University, Williams played professionally in the NBA G League (formerly NBA D League) with the Springfield Armor (2010-12), Grand Rapids Drive (2014-15) and Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2015-16). A native of Yadkinville, N.C., Williams also played overseas in the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Mexico, Slovenia and the Philippines.

Jeremiah Bonsu has been elevated to Head Video Coordinator and enters his third season with the Bulls. Prior to joining Chicago, Bonsu served as Head Video Coordinator with the Houston Rockets (2021-2024) where he worked alongside Bulls Head Coach Tiago Splitter. He previously served as a Graduate Assistant Coach at the University of Arkansas (2019-2021) and as a Player Development Intern with the Dallas Mavericks (2018-2019). Born in Pickerington, Ohio, Bonsu played collegiately at the University of Dayton from 2014-17, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health and sport sciences. He also earned a master’s degree in strategic communications from Bowling Green State University.

Micah Burno has been elevated to Assistant Video Coordinator after previously serving as Video Coordinator with the Bulls (2025-26). Prior to joining the Bulls staff, Burno served as Head Video Coordinator and Coaching Associate with the Windy City Bulls (2023-2025). He also has international player development experience, working with the Japan and Switzerland National Teams during FIBA World Cup qualification. Hailing from Scottsdale, Ariz., Burno played collegiately at Arizona State University, where he served as team captain, earned Pac-12 Scholar honors and received his bachelor’s degree in sports business.

Brandon Leftwich joins the Bulls as Video Coordinator after spending the previous three seasons with Raptors 905, the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors. Leftwich most recently served as an Assistant Coach during the 2025-26 season after previously working as Video Coordinator and Player Development Assistant Coach from 2023-25. Prior to joining Raptors 905, he spent the 2022-23 season as a Video and Player Development Coach with the Wisconsin Herd and began his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at George Washington University. Leftwich played collegiately at Mount St. Mary’s University and George Washington. A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Leftwich earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Mount St. Mary’s and a master’s degree in sport management from George Washington.

Delvon Johnson comes to the Bulls as Video Coordinator after spending the 2025-26 season as a Basketball Operations Assistant with the Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets. Prior to transitioning into basketball operations, Johnson played professionally for 14 seasons, with stops throughout Europe, Asia and Australia, including the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. Johnson played collegiately at Western Illinois (2007-08), Indian Hills Community College (2008-09) and the University of Arkansas (2009-11), where he earned SEC All-Defensive Team honors. A native of Chicago, Johnson attended Bloom High School.

Jayden Hardaway joins the Bulls as Video Coordinator after playing professionally with the Capital City Go-Go, the G League affiliate of the Washington Wizards, during the 2024-25 season. Hardaway played collegiately at the University of Memphis from 2019-24. A Memphis native, Hardaway earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management in 2021 and a master’s degree in sports and hospitality management in 2023 from the University of Memphis.