Doug Collins to leave ESPN, return to Bulls in front-office role
Long before Doug Collins became an insightful analyst on ESPN’s game broadcasts and studio shows, he enjoyed a successful (though notably titleless) tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
Now, 28 years after being fired from that role, Collins is headed back to Chicago to serve as a senior advisor to VP of basketball operations John Paxson, whom he coached back in the ’80s. The new gig will cause him to quit his job at ESPN, where he has worked since 2013.
The Bulls will introduce Collins at a 3 p.m. news conference at the Advocate Center on Tuesday. The team release said “he will serve as an expert resource for the front office and coaching staff.”
The addition will do nothing to quiet speculation on the futures of general manager Gar Forman and coach Fred Hoiberg. But the Chicago Tribune reported shortly after the season ended that the Reinsdorfs sought to broaden the front office dialogue, possibly with additional hires. And sources said that, just like then, no changes are being considered.