The Chicago Bulls have recently announced former head coach Doug Collins is returning as the organization’s senior advisor.
The Chicago Bulls are on a roll this summer.
Although many may not love all the changes the organization has recently put into motion, there is no denying that the front office has been keeping busy — a nice change of pace in comparison to how stagnant their offseason usually is.
Between trading away Jimmy Butler for Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, bringing back Justin Holiday and more, the franchise is amidst a major overhaul. Some may even dare to say a rebuild.
But regardless of its label, it seems the process was not finished quite yet, because on Tuesday morning, the Bulls announced former head coach Doug Collins would be returning to Chicago, this time as a senior advisor.
In a nutshell, Collins will be advising the organization on everything from the team itself, to the coaching staff, and even marketing and development efforts. Having stayed close to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, Collins is interested in helping him build the franchise back up.
"“Doug will be great in this capacity for our organization. The position of ‘senior adviser’ has proven to work well around the NBA in recent years, and I am confident the same will hold true with the Bulls,” Reinsdorf told ESPN. “The fact that our relationship goes back more than 30 years certainly helps, but he is especially qualified to assist our leadership in rebuilding the Bulls.”"
So what does this mean for Chicago?
Well, first and foremost, it is certainly great news, through and through.
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Collins has quite an experienced background in the NBA, from having both played for and coached the Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, to announcing games for several networks such as NBC and TNT. In fact, he chose to leave ESPN where he was recently hired as an analyst, to return to Chicago.
So to say Collins is well-versed in all aspects of the league would be an understatement. It also goes to show that the front office is serious about the team’s success, moving forward.
For the last several years, it was as though the likes of general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson have not had a real plan in place. But hiring a guy like Collins to help move the organization forward is an indicator that perhaps management has had enough of the status quo, which should give fans hope for the future.
"“People who know me know the respect that I have for Jerry, Michael and the Chicago Bulls organization. I am looking forward to getting started and helping everyone,” Collins said. “To be able to stay involved in the NBA and work with John, Gar [Forman], Fred [Hoiberg] and their respective staffs, while not having to leave my family and continuing to live in one of the greatest cities in the world — the fit couldn’t be any better for me at this point in my life.”"
Now will change happen overnight? Of course not. Entering a rebuild is never easy. However, even so, Collins coming on as a senior advisor should help ease the pain — both for the organization and its supporters.
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So welcome back to the Chicago Bulls, Doug Collins. May your guidance be fully accepted with open arms.