(670 The Score) The Bulls and coach Jim Boylen have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.
The news came as no surprise, as executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson indicated in a season-ending news conference that it was "very possible" the sides would reach a new deal. Boylen's contract had previously been set to expire after the 2019-'20 season.
In addition to their belief in him, the Bulls extended Boylen's contract because they believe internally that long-term security for him will help attract better assistant coaches around him. Turnover is expected on the Bulls' staff this offseason.
"Jim has a strong vision on where he wants to take this team, and he has done a great job establishing the culture that we want this organization to stand for as we continue to progress," Paxson said in a statement Friday. "He has tremendous passion for developing young talent, is a strong communicator and a good fit for this team. The organization is confident in the direction that he is taking our players, and we are committed to him."
Boylen led the Bulls to a 17-41 mark after being promoted on Dec. 3 following the firing of Fred Hoiberg. It marked his first head coaching job in the NBA, and it was tumultuous at the start.
In Boylen's seventh day on the job, several players raised the idea of boycotting a practice that was called following a back-to-back set of games, a development that led to frustrations being aired on long team meetings. The episode drew national notoriety for the Bulls.
Through it all, Paxson has praised Boylen's ability to reach his players with solid communication while also holding them accountable.
"What I've seen is his ability to show these guys he genuinely cares about them," Paxson said on April 11. "His goal is to get them better as individuals. I'm the first to admit that first week was like dynamite blowing up. It was a rocky week. What I've seen since then is a guy who embraces this challenge. He embraces the individuals he's coaching. He really does view himself as a teacher, a guy who wants to connect with the players. Sometimes, you have to be demanding and hard. I still believe that you can demand as a head coach as long as you show these guys that you're doing it because you care about them and you want them to succeed. All players want to succeed. I'm just confident.
"We're at a really good place with our head coach and the direction we're headed."
Under Boylen's direction, the Bulls were 28th in offensive rating (104.0), 27th in defensive rating (111.9), 27th in net rating (-7.9) and last in 3-point attempts (24.5 per game).
Boylen had served as the Bulls' associated head coach for three-plus seasons prior to his promotion. He has decades of experience working in the NBA, serving as an assistant with the Rockets, Warriors, Bucks, Pacers and Spurs as well.
