The Bulls continue widening their coaching search.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Chicago is expected to seek permission to interview Lamar Skeeter of the Hornets and Ryan Schmidt of the Hawks as the organization searches for a replacement for Billy Donovan.
Both names are somewhat under-the-radar compared to some of the bigger names already tied to the opening.
But honestly, that fits where Chicago seems headed right now.
New lead basketball executive Bryson Graham has spent the early portion of his tenure reshaping the front office before fully diving into the coaching search.
The Bulls officially announced Tuesday that Stephen Mervis is joining the organization as senior vice president of basketball operations, while former NBA guard Acie Law IV was hired as vice president of player personnel.
Now the coaching search appears to be accelerating.
Previously reported candidates include Sean Sweeney, James Borrego, Wes Unseld Jr., Micah Nori, Dave Bliss and Tiago Splitter.
Skeeter’s background is pretty interesting.
He got his start with the G League’s Canton Charge before spending a decade with the Jazz organization, gradually climbing from player development coach to lead assistant. He joined Charlotte two years ago as top assistant under Charles Lee.
Schmidt has taken a different route.
After several seasons in the G League, he gained head coaching experience overseas with the London Lions before later coaching the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate. He has been a full-time assistant under Quin Snyder since 2024.
At this point, the Bulls appear to be exploring just about every coaching archetype possible — experienced former head coaches, rising assistants and developmental minds alike.
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