Chicago Native Jon Scheyer Linked to Bulls Job as Potential Donovan Successor

The Chicago Bulls sit at 24-25 this season, ninth in the Eastern Conference. The questions around Billy Donovan are not going away.

Donovan, a Hall of Fame coach, took over in Chicago back in 2020. He signed a multiyear extension with the Bulls just last July. That deal came after back-to-back 39-43 seasons and three straight play-in tournament exits.

The extension buys time, nothing more. It does not erase the frustration building inside the organization. Other names are already getting attached to this job.

Now one has, and it carries serious local weight. On Jan 31, 2026, The Hoop Herald reported mutual interest between the Bulls and Jon Scheyer. Scheyer is the head coach at Duke and a Northbrook, Illinois native. That suburb sits roughly 25 miles north of Chicago.

That connection alone does not get someone an NBA coaching job. But what Scheyer has done at Duke over three seasons changes the math entirely.

BREAKING:

Sources close to the situation have indicated there may be mutual interest between The Bulls and Jon Scheyer if, and when, they move on from Billy Donovan

Scheyer, a Chicago native, is currently 109-23 at Duke with a loaded recruiting class incoming yet again pic.twitter.com/CWYuRrJ6ru

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) February 1, 2026

Scheyer Has Built Something Real at Duke in Just Three Seasons

Jon Scheyer took over Duke in 2022 after succeeding legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. He was 35 at the time. One of the youngest power-conference head coaches in the country when he started.

Three seasons in, his career record stands at 109-23, per The Hoop Herald. This season alone, Duke is ranked No. 4 and sitting at 20-1. The Blue Devils own a 6-1 record against ranked opponents and lead the nation with eight Quad 1 wins.

Scheyer became the fastest coach in ACC history to reach 100 wins, needing just 122 games. He won the 2024-25 John McLendon National Coach of the Year after leading Duke to the Final Four.

Duke’s incoming recruiting class is loaded once again. Any front office seriously evaluating Scheyer would factor that in.

The Bulls’ Struggles and Scheyer’s Chicago Roots Make This Worth Watching

Donovan is 195-205 in Chicago over five seasons, with just one playoff appearance in that stretch.
The Bulls started this season 5-0, their best opening since 1996-97. Then they hit a seven-game losing streak stretching from November into December.

Scheyer brings something beyond his résumé. He is a Chicago kid through and through. He played high school ball at Glenbrook North and won a state championship in 2005. He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2006.

Nothing official has happened, though. The Bulls have not fired Donovan. Scheyer is under contract at Duke through 2028-29.

What The Hoop Herald reported is mutual interest. Not a done deal. If that door opens, Scheyer will be among the first names mentioned.