Sean Sweeney Spurs Coach Favorite as Bulls Search Intensifies
The Spurs coach search has already pointed Chicago toward Sean Sweeney, with K.C. Johnson calling him a strong favorite for the Bulls’ head-coaching job. The move comes while the Bulls fill a vacancy created by Billy Donovan’s departure in April and after Bryson Graham was hired Monday as Executive VP of Basketball Operations.
Sean Sweeney and Chicago
Johnson said, "One name that is a hot coaching candidate throughout the league…is Sean Sweeney". Sweeney currently serves as an associate head coach with the Spurs, and that status has put him at the center of Chicago’s search for its next head coach.
The Bulls have not settled on a final list of candidates, but Sweeney is no longer just one name in a broad pool. Micah Nori, Chris Quinn, Mike Wilks, Jarrett Jack and Wes Unseld Jr. are also among the coaches mentioned as possibilities, yet the Spurs assistant has emerged as the clearest front-runner in the discussion.
Sweeney’s route to San Antonio
Sweeney’s path is long and layered. He began as a video coordinator for the then-New Jersey Nets in 2011, stayed in that role until 2013, then was promoted to assistant coach when the franchise moved to Brooklyn. He remained with the Nets until 2014, worked for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018 and moved to the Detroit Pistons from 2018 to 2021.
He then spent four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks from 2021 to 2025 before signing with the Spurs last June. That background gives Chicago a candidate with stops across several organizations and enough experience to be viewed as a realistic option for the top job.
Bulls search under Bryson Graham
Bryson Graham’s hire on Monday as the Bulls’ next Executive VP of Basketball Operations changed the shape of the search, but it did not close the door on a coaching change with a different profile. Sweeney remains tied to San Antonio while the Spurs are in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Timberwolves, which keeps his candidacy connected to a live playoff run as Chicago weighs its next move.
For the Bulls, the practical next step is simple: keep narrowing the field and decide whether the Spurs associate head coach becomes the man to follow Donovan. For Sweeney, the new line on his resume is harder to miss — he is now being talked about as the favorite for one of the league’s open head-coaching jobs.
