Bulls finalize coaching hires, emphasize collaboration under new leadership
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The Chicago Bulls will add Rex Kalamian, Jonah Herscu and Blake Ahearn to head coach Tiago Splitter’s staff for the 2026-27 season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Kalamian brings three decades of NBA experience and has served on eight benches since 1995, most recently working for Doc Rivers with the Milwaukee Bucks. Herscu, who previously held assistant roles with the Lakers and Kings, spent last season alongside Splitter in Portland and coached the G League’s Rip City Remix. Ahearn, a former NBA guard, led the Spurs’ G League affiliate from 2017-20 before joining Taylor Jenkins’ staff in Memphis from 2020-24.
Front-office shift
In a detailed report for ESPN.com, Jamal Collier described uncertainty inside the organization during the tenure of former executives Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley, including questions about the club’s resistance to tanking and concerns that staff input was ignored.
New head of basketball operations Bryson Graham told ESPN he intends to foster an open decision-making process. “I’m not trying to come in and overcorrect. I’m just leading in the way that I believe is the proper way to lead,” Graham said. “Earlier in the process, you just want to take in, and you want to hear from everyone … ultimately I’ll take that information, process it and do what I need to.”
Multiple team sources told ESPN the offseason strategy has been clearer than in recent years. One basketball operations employee said, “There’s a very, very, very different vibe. Everybody feels it. We’re meeting—a group beyond four people—talking about the draft, free agency, hiring a coach. It’s not under a cloak of secrecy.”
Essengue’s recovery
Second-year forward Noa Essengue told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network that he is pain-free following shoulder surgery and has begun full workouts. Essengue added that Splitter has outlined specific expectations for his role heading into training camp.
Source: HoopsRumors
