Billy Donovan's Salary: What the Basketball Coach Makes in His Contract

NBA coach and former basketball player Billy Donovan has climbed the ranks to become head coach for one of the league’s most prominent teams. However, titles are only part of the picture. What's Donovan’s salary as a basketball coach as well as his net worth?

Here’s a peek into Donovan’s earnings as the head coach of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, where he stands in his contract.

Donovan became head coach of the Chicago Bulls in September 2020. At the time, Donovan signed a four-year contract worth a collective $24 million. Donovan wasn't a first-time NBA coach when he signed on with the Bulls. The NBA team is known for being cost-effective with their hirings, so it came as a welcome surprise for Bulls fans.

When the Bulls first hired Donovan, he said about the team, “It’s going to be a player-first program in which we’re going to do right by the players and put them in a position to continue to grow and be successful. Strategizing style of play, how we play, how we can utilize everybody.” Today, Donovan remains an esteemed coach in the game of basketball.

After playing professionally for the Wyoming Wildcatters and the Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association, as well as a brief stint for the NBA’s New York Knicks, Donovan went on to become a stockbroker on Wall Street.

Before long, Donovan returned to the sport and became a college basketball coach for the University of Kentucky, Marshall University, and the University of Florida.

Donovan has coached the USA Basketball team three times, winning multiple FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur) championships.

Donovan began coaching in the NBA in 2007 for the Orlando Magic. In 2015, he became the head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Donovan signed on to a five-year contract for $30 million, which is similar to the amount he agreed to for the Bulls.

Donovan makes a base salary of $6 million per year with the Chicago Bulls. This doesn't include incentives like bonuses that may contribute to his final annual takeaway.

In truth, Donovan is far from the NBA’s highest-paid coach. That title would go to Gregg Popovich, who has coached the San Antonio Spurs since 1996 and rakes in at least $11.5 million annually. Still, Donovan has been making millions of dollars in annual salary for decades.

Since 2007, Donovan has earned a collective $81.5 million (including his current contract that ends in 2024). While his net worth likely varies from this, it’s safe to say that Donovan is secure in his finances.