The Portland Trail Blazers have announced their new interim head coach following the arrest of Chauncey Billups.
More news: Blazers Called Out for Key Weakness Ahead of 2025-26 Season Opener
Blazers assistant Tiago Splitter will assume the head coaching position in the interim in place of Billups.
Portland Trail Blazers assistant Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching position in the interim in place of Chauncey Billups, sources tell ESPN. Nate Bjorkgren was strongly considered by Portland but decided it was best for the franchise for him to maintain his current role. pic.twitter.com/bUIzHK9XED
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2025
The former NBA center joined the Blazers coaching staff in June. The Blazers are the third organization Splitter’s been with since beginning his coaching career in 2018.
Splitter started his coaching career with the Brooklyn Nets, when he was hired as a pro scout. He was in Brooklyn for five years, during which he was promoted to player development coach before parting ways with the organization in 2023.
In the summer of 2023, he was hired by the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach under head coach Ime Udoka. After two seasons there, he then joined the Blazers.
Splitter had quite the basketball career, spanning from 1999-2017. The first eight years of his career were spent playing internationally in Brazil, his home country, and Spain.
The San Antonio Spurs drafted him in the 2007 NBA Draft in the first round with the No. 28 overall pick. He played a vital role in leading the Spurs to their fifth title in franchise history in 2014 over the Miami Heat.
Following his stint in San Antonio, he played for the Atlanbat hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers before retiring in February 2018. In his basketball career, Splitter was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2008, a two-time Liga ACB champion, a four-time Spanish Super Cup winner, a three-time Spanish Cup winner, the Liga ACB MVP, and had his No. 21 retired by Saski Baskonia.
The decision to promote Spiltter follows the arrest of Billups, who was arrested in connection with an FBI sports betting and poker probe.
The Blazers are among four teams cited in the sports betting investigation by Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Billups was arrested in Oregon on Thursday morning after guiding the Blazers in their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Blazers dropped that contest by the final score of 118-114.
Portland gave a valiant effort on Wednesday night, and expectations are that they’ll fight for a play-in spot this season. After the Billups news, that is far from the minds of the Blazers, including their player, fans and organization.
The Billups’ arrest is a developing story.
For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.
