Bulls fire coach Jim Boylen after missing playoffs again

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls fired coach Jim Boylen on Friday, the new front office beginning its remake of a team that missed the playoffs again.

The Bulls were 22-43 and were one of the eight teams that didn't qualify for the NBA's restart at Walt Disney World. That meant they wouldn't make the postseason for the fourth time in five years.

Chicago then hired Arturas Karnisovas as executive vice president of basketball operations, and on Friday he decided he wanted a new coach.

“This was a very difficult decision, but it is time for our franchise to take that next step as we move in a new direction and era of Chicago Bulls basketball,” Karnisovas said in a statement. “Jim is a great human being that cares deeply about this organization and the game of basketball.”

Boylen finished 39-84 as Bulls coach. He joined the franchise as associate head coach during the 2015-16 season and became head coach on Dec. 3, 2018.