Latest news with #coachingsearch
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Knicks head coach search: Could a new name enter the conversation?
The NBA Draft and free agency will take place within the next week, and the New York Knicks are still going through the process of finding a new head coach. When New York fired Tom Thibodeau close to three weeks ago, the franchise set out to do an extensive search for his replacement. The Knicks have the NBA's only head coaching vacancy with no competition in the market. Advertisement The process reached a new stage last week, when New York held interviews with former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown. Both candidates interviewed over multiple days and were impressive, per league sources. The 40-year-old Jenkins was fired by the Grizzlies just before the start of the playoffs after, essentially, six full seasons manning the sideline and posting a 250-214 record. Brown was fired by the Kings early in the regular season. Aside from his time in Sacramento, he's been a head coach for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also an assistant on Steve Kerr's Golden State Warriors staff. Jenkins and Brown appear to be the front-runners as of now. However, New York has tossed around the idea of speaking with James Borrego for its vacancy, per league sources. Borrego, a CAA client, is known around the league for his offensive creativity and analytics-forward approach. Borrego spent last season as an assistant coach on Willie Green's staff in New Orleans and was last a head coach for the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-22. His record in those four seasons doesn't pop off the screen, but Borrego led the struggling franchise to a 43-win season just before he was let go. Charlotte has won 40-plus games during the regular season just four times since 2005, which includes Borrego's final year in charge. Something else to continue to monitor is the Knicks' interest in Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. While a long shot to join New York, Kidd — who is under contract for two more years and the Mavericks, per league sources, have shown no interest to this point in allowing their coach to leave — still hasn't agreed to an extension like other currently-employed head coaches who the Knicks showed interest in during the first stage of their search. New York reached out to Houston to speak with Ime Udoka and to Chicago to speak with Billy Donovan. Udoka agreed to an extension with the Rockets last week, league sources told The Athletic. And according to multiple reports, the Bulls and Billy Donovan are in the process of working on a contract extension. Advertisement There has been nothing regarding Kidd and an extension in Dallas to this point. Furthermore, Dallas did not extend the contracts of Kidd's assistant coaches after the franchise made it to the Western Conference finals last year. Kidd is going to lose his longtime assistant Sean Sweeney to the San Antonio Spurs, league sources confirm to The Athletic. Other top Mavericks assistants, Jared Dudley and God Shammgod, have received interest from rival ballclubs, per league sources, and have contracts that expire on June 30, which is also when Sweeney's deal is up. These all factor into why the Knicks-Kidd chatter won't fully go away. While it's not ideal, the Knicks don't necessarily need a head coach by Wednesday's NBA Draft. New York holds the No. 50 pick. Having a head coach in place by the start of free-agency negotiations next week would be beneficial for the Knicks. However, until further notice, not having one signals that the franchise could be keeping the core of its roster intact. With all that said, New York can continue to search for a Thibodeau replacement at its own pace. — Fred Katz contributed to this story. (Photo of James Borrego: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Knicks Requested Permission To Speak With Chris Finch And Ime Udoka For Vacant Head Coaching Position
New York Knicks Requested Permission To Speak With Chris Finch And Ime Udoka For Vacant Head Coaching Position originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Amid a critical offseason, the New York Knicks are still in the early stages of a desperate coaching search. After recently firing their coach, Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks are hard at work on his replacement, but it seems they'd rather steal a coach from a rival team over finding one on their own. Advertisement "The New York Knicks requested permission to speak to Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job, but were denied on both, sources tell ESPN. Knicks could request permission for other current head coaches, too," wrote Shams on X. The Knicks were denied an interview with Finch and Udoka, which is unsurprising considering both are under contract with their current teams. The same is also true for Jason Kidd, whom the Knicks are reported to have an interest in. Interestingly, the Knicks have yet to inquire about the availability of Jason Kidd. "The Knicks have not requested permission for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd as of Tuesday night, but sources tell ESPN that the Mavericks would reject them." The firing of Thibs happened after years of historic success for the franchise. Under his watch, the Knicks went from a lottery team to contenders with a complete change in identity and culture. Sadly, after back-to-back losses in the playoffs, Thibs lost his job, and the team has been unable to settle on his replacement. Advertisement It's unknown why the Knicks are looking for coaches who are already employed, but it won't be long before they are forced to change their approach by looking for available candidates. One prominent name who was recently fired is Michael Malone, the former Nuggets coach who helped Nikola Jokic win his first championship. While he's proven and widely respected across the league, his leadership style and personality are perhaps too similar to Tom Thibodeau, who was also an old-school, defensive-minded coach. Then, there's Taylor Jenkins, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach who led the Grizzlies to major prosperity in the West. He was a steady force in Memphis for years before he lost the locker room, but there's reason to believe he can bring out the best in the Knicks. The Knicks want someone they feel can take them over the top, and it starts with building a culture that every player can buy into. Chris Finch and Ime Udoka did a great job of that with their respective teams this year, and it's why the Knicks want their influence for their own organization. Advertisement With their competitors unlikely to let them interview their preferred coaches, the Knicks will have to find someone else who meets their standards and, fortunately for them, there are plenty of worthy contenders who fit the bill. More than anything, they need a coach who can bring their current group together and maximize their potential on offense with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. At this point, the Knicks cannot afford to get this wrong, as any misstep here could result in the collapse of all the momentum and goodwill they've built over the years. They know how important the decision is, and they are sparing no expense to find the right guy. Related: 5 Best Coaching Candidates For The New York Knicks After Shocking Tom Thibodeau Firing This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks Reportedly Met With 'F*** No' Responses When Requesting Coach Interviews
Knicks Reportedly Met With 'F*** No' Responses When Requesting Coach Interviews originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The New York Knicks have reportedly been met with blunt and even profane rejections in their search for a new head coach, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Charania detailed the Knicks' failed attempts to interview multiple sitting head coaches around the league, revealing that several teams responded with hostility. Advertisement "Out of the five rejections, some of the scenarios that I heard was, you know, teams would just hang up. They would say no and hang up. Teams would have maybe some profanity. Maybe there's some 'F*** no.'" "In other situations, it's the owners calling the team and being the one to be like, you're not talking to our guy. And so listen, the Knicks probably expected some of these responses." "Anytime you reach out to other teams for their head coaches, you are susceptible for that team to have some kind of a reaction, and the Knicks went through this exercise, an educational process in their mind, to see which coaches they could potentially talk to." It's a brutal indictment of where the Knicks currently stand in the eyes of their peers, despite coming off their best season in over two decades. New York shocked the NBA world by firing Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, and what was supposed to be an upgrade search has quickly become a league-wide spectacle. Advertisement The Knicks thought they were shopping at the top shelf; instead, they're being laughed out of the room. The list of coaches they attempted to interview reads like a who's who of respected tacticians: Jason Kidd (Mavericks), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Rockets), Billy Donovan (Bulls), and Quin Snyder (Hawks). All said no. Most didn't even entertain the idea. And at least a few responded with vulgarity or immediate rejection, according to Charania. For New York, this was more than just due diligence. These were genuine targets. Jason Kidd, in particular, has ties to the franchise as a former player and coached Jalen Brunson during his early years in Dallas. Chris Finch has helped turn Anthony Edwards into a superstar in Minnesota. And Udoka led the Rockets to a breakout season and is widely seen as a coach on the rise. But none of those teams had any interest in cooperating with the Knicks. Advertisement The rejections weren't just polite "nos" behind closed doors; they were pointed. Profane. Dismissive. And while that kind of pushback can sometimes galvanize a franchise, in this case, it only amplifies the perception that New York's front office underestimated the challenge of replacing a successful coach mid-contention window. Currently, the Knicks are pivoting. They've scheduled interviews with two former head coaches: Taylor Jenkins, who was recently let go by the Memphis Grizzlies after a disappointing season, and Mike Brown, who previously coached the Sacramento Kings. Both are respected in league circles, but neither represents the kind of star hire that Leon Rose and the Knicks seemed to be pursuing at the outset. Advertisement What's clear now is that New York miscalculated badly. Whether it was the abrupt firing of Thibodeau, the aggressive targeting of established coaches under contract, or the assumption that a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals would grant them cachet, the Knicks have been humbled. Now, they're left scrambling to find a leader, while the rest of the league enjoys the show. Related: Knicks Land Jason Kidd In Bold Coaching Trade Proposal This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks' Coaching Search Gets Major Jason Kidd Update on Monday
Knicks' Coaching Search Gets Major Jason Kidd Update on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks enter the offseason as the only team in the NBA in search of a new head coach. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks made the shocking decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau after he helped lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Since firing Thibodeau, the Knicks have tried to interview five different coaches who already hold a head coaching position in the NBA, but they were denied by all five teams. Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason KiddJerome Miron-Imagn Images One of those teams was the Dallas Mavericks, who denied New York's request to interview Jason Kidd. Kidd was the top candidate for the Knicks entering their coaching search and while the Mavericks denied their request to interview him, a recent report by Ian Begley suggests that New York may still be able to land the former star point guard as their new head coach. Advertisement 'The door is not completely closed on the Knicks and Jason Kidd, per people familiar with the dynamic in Dallas,' Begley wrote. 'Other outlets reported as recently as last week that Kidd was still a possibility, and that remains the case as of Monday.' This is a massive report by Begley and one that comes as a surprise after Dallas denied New York's request to interview Kidd early last week. While the Mavericks denied their request, it seems as though the Knicks are still aggressively pursuing Kidd to be the next head coach of the franchise and with this report, it looks as though Kidd may be contemplating moving on from Dallas. Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Butler II-Imagn Images Because of this, Kidd may force the Mavericks to allow him to speak with the Knicks as he contemplates moving to New York. Advertisement If Kidd does end up wanting to become the next head coach of the Knicks, expect the Mavericks to try and work out a trade with New York so that they do not end up losing him for nothing. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Will anybody coach the New York Knicks? It's a fair question.
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Win your own personal national championship today. It's like the old saying goes: Four strikes, and you've still got to hire a coach. The Knicks had a wonderful energy about them as recently as a few weeks ago. That dimmed a bit with an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Pacers. It faded more with the defensible but pretty aggressive firingof coach Tom Thibodeau on June 3. And now it's completely gone, as the Knicks have sputtered in their search for a replacement. They have tried to talk to at least four sitting head coaches and come up empty each time. Current whiffs: It's all been so public. The Knicks got the search they wanted, as Sam Amick writes, but they're in danger of winding up with a coach who was no better than their fifth choice. Or worse! Or, of course, they could manage to work something out with one of the teams above. For now, the Knicks are set to interview a couple of recent head coaches, Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. Advertisement Just how big a deal is this spectacle? I asked James L. Edwards III, who covers the Knicks for The Athletic. He offered this balanced response: 💬 What New York is doing — trying to pry employed coaches away from their teams — opens the franchise up for criticism and jokes, but it's not that uncommon. New York doesn't care to win the headlines and tabloids. If it did, team president Leon Rose and/or owner James Dolan would come out of the shadows and explain the Thibodeau firing and hiring of the next coach. Neither will do that. They haven't spoken to media covering the team in years. The Knicks have and will continue to spin this as them doing their due diligence. And in their defense, New York is the home of the lone coaching vacancy in the NBA. The Knicks' need to rush isn't like other teams in this position. Now, to me, this all comes back to this: Will New York, without question, get a coach who can propel the team to the next level? I have a tough time seeing it. The Knicks' biggest problem is not the process. It's the likely end result. All fair. We can rubberneck in the meantime. I asked Zach Harper, author of The Bounce, to rate the mess here on a scale of 1 ('chill out') to 10 ('unmitigated disaster'): 💬 I'm going with an 8.5, which essentially works out to: 'Guys, this is getting weird and maybe you should just take a walk and clear your heads. Possibly throw on a guided meditation and figure out what you want in life.' You might get one request to a team with a sitting head coach. To be throwing darts blindly at the NBA rolodex at this point has to be concerning to Knicks fans. Perhaps someone reading this newsletter would like to throw their hat into the ring. Marchand, Panthers dominate Game 5 Florida is one win away from back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. As they have done consistently in this Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers jumped on the Oilers in the first period last night. Brad Marchand scored first before Sam Bennett made it 2-0 late in the period. Marchand's second was somehow prettier than the first, a dagger early in the third period. Our NHL staff has more takeaways from Game 5 as Florida inches closer. My takeaway: Marchand was unstoppable last night. This goal literally made an Oilers fan swap allegiances: KD narrows preferred trade destinations Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant has narrowed his preferred trade destinations to two teams: the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. The Athletic's Sam Amick, Jon Krawczynski and Kelly Iko dove into the full list of potential destinations, explaining why a deal with the Rockets or Spurs looks unlikely and which other teams have reportedly shown interest. Read the latest on Durant's suitors here. Advertisement A first-time major champion? Of the five golfers at or below par entering the final round of the U.S. Open today, only one has won a major championship. Scottie Scheffler is eight strokes back. Rory McIlroy is making more headlines off the coursethan on. Instead, your leader is 28-year-old Sam Burns, who has one career top 10 in a major. Right behind him: 44-year-old Adam Scott, who would be the second-oldest champion in U.S. Open history. Who will prevail? Our golf reporters made their picks ahead of today's final round. More news: 📺 Formula One: Canadian Grand Prix | 2 p.m. ET on ESPN Montreal's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is one of the most fun tracks in F1, in my opinion, and this is a nice breakdown of the circuit from Madeline Coleman. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are still searching for podiums and answers, and Max Verstappen is on the brink of suspension. 📺 CWS: Coastal Carolina vs. Oregon State | 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 The Chanticleers and the Beavers are in the winners' bracket in Omaha. OSU played a thrilling opener against Louisville, coughing up a two-run lead with some disastrous defense in the top of the ninth but then promptly walking it off in the bottom half. The Beavs are eternally a chaos team, no matter which sport we're talking about. With just over two weeks until NHL free agency opens, our staff picked one player each team should target. Attending the U.S. Open with my dad, him working as a hole marshal and me reporting for The Pulse. A cool memory! — Alex Kirshner Although chocolate morsels are plenty fun to use in recipes, one fun tweak can be to chop up a Baker's chocolate bar instead. Why? Chocolate chips often contain emulsifiers that maintain their shape during baking, but chopped chocolate has a lower melting point, thus making it easier to get pockets of chocolate in every bite of, say, your favorite cookie. — James Jackson Advertisement Daniel Taylor looked at the significance of David Beckham's knighthood. Season 2 of 'Tires' on Netflix is a pleasant surprise. Only halfway done and it's steadily rising in my workplace sitcom rankings. — Torrey Hart Teaching really little kids baseball is HARD in part because of all the ouches on grounders, pop-ups, etc. This video – yes, that's Wells! Actual Lol. – reminded me you can start with them throwing to themselves. It helped! — Chris Sprow If you missed it Wednesday, The Athletic FC had a great primer on the 2026 World Cup with one year to go. Diego Luna and Javier Bardem's 'Actors on Actors' interview was excellent. They fluidly switched between Spanish and English, which led to a deep, vulnerable conversation about the experience of performing, working in and living with a second language. — Patrick Iversen Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our newser on Antonio Brown facing an attempted murder charge. Most-read on the website yesterday: It can't be contained. Rustin Dodd's deep dive on Roger Federer's commencement speech is back. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
