On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls were back in action from the All-Star break as they took on the Toronto Raptors at home. Head coach Billy Donovan was absent, tending to his family following the recent passing of his father, Billy Donovan Sr.
Before the game, the Bulls issued a tribute to Donovan Sr., per ClutchPoints.
The Bulls honored the passing of Billy Donovan Sr, father of head coach Billy Donovan, before tonight's game vs. the Raptors.
(via @DravesZachary) pic.twitter.com/ui1abaibg3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2026
Billy Donovan Sr. was a standout player at Boston College, where he finished with 1,102 career points, the No.3 top scorer in program history. He was a first lieutenant in the Army.
Billy Jr. later took up basketball and played at Providence in college. In 1987, he was part of the team that reached the Final Four. Eventually, Billy Jr. would become the head coach at Florida and lead them to two consecutive NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007.
After his father's passing, colleagues such as Rick Pitino sent out their well-wishes. Meanwhile, the Bulls are 24-31 and are in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
Donovan has been the Bulls' head coach since the 2020-21 season. So far, he has compiled a record of 195-205. Additionally, Donovan led the Bulls to the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in which they were eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
Previously, Donovan was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2020. He compiled a record of 243-157. His current overall coaching record in the NBA is 438-362. In 2025, Donovan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In the meantime, Wes Unseld Jr. has taken over as the interim head coach.
