The Chicago Bulls reportedly have their eyes on BYU’s Kevin Young as a candidate to be the team’s next head coach.
The Bulls have held “early conversations” with Young amid their head coaching search, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported Friday.
The Bulls have previously been connected to other candidates including Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn and Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant.
Young has spent the last two seasons coaching BYU, during which he led the Cougars to 49-22 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Cougars made it the Sweet 16 in Young’s first season with the program, after which he was signed to a multi-year extension the BYU athletics department.
BYU was eliminated from the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament with an upset loss to Texas. The season also featured a stellar freshman campaign from AJ Byantsa, who led the nation with 25.5 points per game while establishing himself as a potential top pick of the upcoming NBA draft.
The Bulls job would mark a return to the NBA for Young, previously climbed the ranks of the Phoenix Suns coaching staff to become the league’s highest-paid assistant by the time he left to join BYU in 2024.
Prior to his four years with the Suns, Young spent eight seasons as an NBA G League coach in Utah, Iowa and Delaware followed by four years as an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bulls have also been connected to Charlotte Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
NBA insider Jake Fischer previously named Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, former New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego and Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr. as other candidates.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday that former San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, who was also named by Fischer as a candidate, is taking the head coaching job with the Orlando Magic.
The Bulls are seeking a replacement for Billy Donovan, who stepped down in April after six seasons with the team. Donovan was reportedly a lead candidate for the Magic job prior to Sweeney’s hiring, per Fischer.
