5 possible candidates for the next Chicago Bulls head coach

4. Kelvin Sampson

For a while now, Sampson has been near the front of the line among NCAA coaches ready for the big show. According to a poll this winter from Jeff Goodman of Stadium, Sampson received 28 votes and finished in fifth place. “He’s a really good coach and he knows the league,” an anonymous source told Goodman. “Remember, he was with the Spurs, Bucks and Rockets. That would give him some credibility.”

Most importantly, Sampson might actually be gettable. He works at the mid-major Houston, is already 64 years old, and could be looking for one last chance to become a head coach in the NBA. Over the past three years under Sampson, Houston has not lost more than eight games and has qualified for the NCAA tournament each season. Fringe NBA prospects such as Nate Hinton and Dejon Jarreau have come through the program and improved as well, signaling that Sampson is not only effective building a winner but working with young players as well.

For some reason, there is a perception around the NBA every time a relatively young executive takes over and wants to fast-forward the rebuild that they must also hire a young coach. Karnisovas is just 48 and it’s his first time running a franchise, so most of the candidates rumored in the Bulls’ search have been younger than Sampson.

That should not disqualify him. However, Sampson also has no connection with Karnisovas or the Bulls. History seems to drive much of how Chicago does business, though maybe that changes now, with the departure of Gar Forman and John Paxson. Sampson would be a strong candidate with a great track record, though he doesn’t fit the mold of people like Griffin, who’ve led the rumors so far.