The Chicago Bulls have entrusted former NBA champion Tiago Splitter with the task of guiding the franchise into a new era, formally introducing the Brazilian as the team’s head coach on Wednesday.

For Splitter, the appointment carries a special significance. Growing up in Brazil, he often stayed awake into the early hours of the morning to watch Michael Jordan lead the Bulls during the franchise’s glory years. Now, decades later, he finds himself charged with helping restore that winning culture.

The 41-year-old becomes the 25th head coach in Bulls history and arrives with a diverse basketball résumé that spans playing, scouting and coaching roles across multiple levels of the game.

Splitter emerged from a competitive field of candidates before being selected by executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who took over the front office earlier this year. Graham highlighted Splitter’s competitiveness, leadership qualities and ability to build strong relationships with players as key factors behind the decision.

“We are at the ground floor,” Graham said. “And so when you have someone that has a vision that aligns with yours, that knows how you want to play, and how to build a program, we just, I mean, we couldn’t be more excited.”

The appointment follows a challenging but ultimately successful season for Splitter as interim coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite difficult circumstances, he guided Portland to a 42-40 record and a return to the playoffs, where the team was eliminated by San Antonio in the first round. It marked the franchise’s first winning season and playoff appearance since 2020-21.

Reflecting on that experience, Splitter emphasized the importance of keeping his team focused amid uncertainty.

“It wasn’t an easy situation,” Splitter said. “I think, you know, as the season went to the finish, to the end, we almost forgot about it and that was the great thing. … That was most important thing for me, just like leaving the outside noise out of the picture and focusing on basketball.”

A former first-round draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs, Splitter enjoyed a seven-year NBA playing career and was part of the Spurs team that won the 2014 NBA championship. Since retiring, he has steadily built his coaching credentials, spending time with Brooklyn and Houston before leading Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup title during the 2024-25 season.

Splitter replaces Billy Donovan, who stepped down after six seasons with the Bulls. Chicago is coming off a disappointing 31-51 campaign in which it ranked among the league’s poorest defensive teams and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.

With two first-round picks in next week’s draft and significant salary-cap flexibility, the Bulls have opportunities to reshape the roster. While avoiding bold predictions, Splitter made clear what fans can expect from his team.

“I can guarantee you one thing: We’re going to compete every night,” he said. “And we’re going to have high standards with everything that we do.”