Pondexter will coach the Windy City Bulls after spending the past five years at the college level.
Chicago is bringing a former Bull back to lead its G League team.
According to Chicago Sports Network insider K.C. Johnson, the franchise is hiring Quincy Pondexter as the next head coach of the Windy City Bulls. He replaces Billy Donovan III, who coached Chicago's G League affiliate for the past two seasons.
Pondexter, 38, played one season for the Bulls in 2017-18 and retired from the NBA a year later. He began his coaching career in 2021 as an assistant at the University of Washington, his alma mater, and remained there for three years under Mike Hopkins. When Hopkins did not return in 2024, Pondexter joined the USC Trojans to work for Eric Musselman.
After one year in Southern California, Pondexter returned to the Huskies under head coach Danny Sprinkle. Pondexter's new job with the Windy City Bulls will be his first career opportunity as a head basketball coach.
At 6-foot-7 and 230-pounds, Pondexter was a five-star high school recruit and had a prolific college career at Washington. He was a member of the All-Pac-10 First Team in 2010 and led the Huskies to the Sweet 16 with averages of 19.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Pondexter with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and subsequently traded him to the New Orleans Hornets, where he averaged 2.8 points per game as a rookie. New Orleans shipped him to the Memphis Grizzlies after just one year and he managed to carve out a solid role off the bench.
Mar 19, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Quincy Pondexter (20) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Pelicans 74-72. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Pondexter shot nearly 40% from deep for the Grizzlies in 2012-13 before missing most of the following season with a stress fracture in his right foot. He returned to the court in 2014, but Memphis traded Pondexter back to New Orleans — now the Pelicans — midseason. Pondexter appeared in 45 games and made 28 starts for the Pelicans over the back half of the 2014-15 season, averaging a career-best 9.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3% from three.
However, another significant injury hit Pondexter that postseason. After the Pelicans were swept by the eventual champion Warriors, the then-27-year-old wing underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery. The injury and treatment caused Pondexter to miss the next two seasons as he battled a life-threatening skin infection.
Nov 17, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Quincy Pondexter (20) goes to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Dwayne Bacon (7) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports The Bulls acquired Pondexter on Sep. 1, 2017. A month later, Pondexter returned to the court for Chicago's season opener, marking his first game in nearly two and a half years. He appeared in 23 games and made one start for the Bulls, averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds. Pondexter was waived by the team the following February and finished his NBA career with the Spurs the next year.
Pondexter now joins the Windy City Bulls, who went 15-21 last season despite rostering G League MVP Mac McClung. The Windy City Bulls have not recorded a winning record since 2022-23 and have not reached the G League postseason since 2018-19.
