Former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson could be an interesting candidate for the Chicago Bulls to include in their search.
The two most notable current or prospective head coach job openings around the NBA right now are with the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans. The Bulls provide that big market opening with a lot of traditional success in the Eastern Conference. And whichever head coach is next for the Bulls will also get the opportunity to rebuild a team with massive global reach and popularity, while getting in on the ground floor.
Meanwhile, a head coach job opening like that of the Pelicans at the moment is one with much more immediate appeal. The Pelicans have a very potent roster with the likes of forward Zion Williamson, small forward Brandon Ingram, and point guards Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday. A lot of the top head coaching candidates on the market now (or that could soon to be on the open market) might want to choose a job like the Pelicans over the Bulls.
However, there are definitely some interesting names in the mix for either head coaching job. Often mentioned favorites to land the Bulls job includes Philadelphia 76ers lead assistant Ime Udoka, Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson.
But there was another name that definitely sparks some intrigue that was talked about by the Bulls team writer Sam Smith on his “Ask Sam Mailbag” on Aug. 22. Smith was asked about the possibility of ESPN commentator and former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson as a candidate to be the Bulls next head coach. And it didn’t seem like Smith was all that opposed to the idea of Bulls considering Jackson for the position.
Here’s more on what Smith had to say on this subject.
"Mark has been a favorite of a lot of fans, and maybe it would get Pete Myers back with the Bulls since he was close with Mark in Golden State. It’s an interesting dichotomy with Mark in Golden State. He featured Curry and Thompson when many doubted it would work and they became a 50-win team. Then Steve Kerr in that A to B to C thing took over and they were a 70-win team with essentially the same personnel and a game with more movement. Still, the Bulls are at A. Whatever the Bulls do, it’s apparent especially watching games now that offense, movement and wing play have dominated and that’s where the Bulls need improvement."
The fact that the Bulls could also have former Chicago shooting guard Pete Myers on staff with Jackson again, back with the team he was originally drafted by, also adds a bit of intrigue to this scenario. If the Bulls do in fact have a long list of candidates they’re looking into for the next head coaching hire, then including Jackson in that mix makes some sense.
Jackson held a decent career head coaching record of 121-109 during his run with the Warriors. He would eventually be let go in favor of fellow former Bulls guard Steve Kerr, who led them to numerous titles throughout the 2010’s.
The Bulls finished up the 2019-20 season with a record of 22-43. Former head coach Jim Boylen was let go back on Aug. 14, and the coaching search began right thereafter. Newly hired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have a lot of work to do to find their next head coaching hire.