Tuesday 23 June 2020 07:27, UK
The New York Knicks are still searching for their next coach and will reportedly talk to a name from their past about that job opening.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports the Knicks plan to interview former Knicks coach Mike Woodson once they begin parsing through candidates for their vacancy.
Former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau, former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson and Knicks interim coach Mike Miller are also supposed to interview for the job, per multiple reports.
In addition to Woodson being in the potential mix for the opening, current Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown is also set to interview for the job, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Marc Stein of The New York Times adds that the Knicks plan on interviewing current Lakers assistant Jason Kidd. The Hall of Fame point guard was previously head coach at Milwaukee and Brooklyn and played for the Knicks in his final season as a player in 2012-13.
Brown is best known as the former coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he led in two separate stints. In his first run with the Cavs from 2005-10, he went 272-138 and took Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007. His second stint, in 2013-14, saw him go 33-49 before being fired. He was also coach of the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011-13, going 42-29 in 71 games there.
As of late May, Thibodeau has been reported as the top candidate for the opening. The Knicks fired coach David Fizdale in December after a 4-18 start. Since then, Miller has served as interim coach.
Miller, according to The Athletic, is expected to receive an interview once the search process is officially underway. Atkinson, who agreed to part ways with the Nets on March 7, is reportedly likely to receive an interview as well.
Woodson last served as an assistant coach with the LA Clippers from 2014-18. He coached the Knicks from 2011-12 to 2013-14 and led the team to its most successful season in years. The 2012-13 team, under Woodson's leadership, went 54-28, won the Atlantic Division and reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals. That was the Knicks' only playoff season win since 2000.
Before coaching the Knicks, Woodson was coach of the Atlanta Hawks from 2004-10, amassing a 206-286 record that included three playoff appearances.
Begley reports interviews for the opening are expected to begin once New York has clarity on the rest of the NBA season. The league has reportedly presented a plan to restart the season with 22 teams in Orlando, Florida. The Knicks are not among the teams invited to the resumption.
Thibodeau has not coached since January of 2019, when he was fired from the Minnesota Timberwolves as both coach and president of basketball operations. He has assembled a 352-246 coaching record between his stints with Minnesota and the Chicago Bulls.
The Knicks and president of basketball operations Leon Rose will reportedly be targeting their next coach "within the next few weeks," but the timetable could be impacted by the NBA's decision on how to approach the upcoming season.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reports the Nets and Houston Rockets may also have interest in Thibodeau.
