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Knicks to formally hire Mike Brown as team’s next head coach

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 1:15 PM ET

The New York Knicks’ month-long head coaching search has finally reached an endpoint. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the team will be hiring former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown to be their next head coach as the two sides are finalizing a deal.

Knicks to officially hire Mike Brown to be the next head coach

Brown became a frontrunner to secure the job over the past week, and he now lands the position to be Tom Thibodeau’s successor. Along with Brown, the Knicks also held formal interviews with Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori, and James Borrego before landing on Brown.

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Brown last coached the Sacramento Kings but was fired halfway through last season. He posted a 107-88 regular season record with Sacramento across three seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2023. He also won the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2023.

Brown also has experience coaching a true title contender, as he was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers during LeBron James’ first stint in Cleveland. Brown coached them for five seasons from 2005-10 and a separate stint in the 2013-14 season.

The Knicks will hope that Brown can lead them to success

He led the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007. Brown’s all-time regular season record is 454-304, and he has an all-time playoff record of 50-40.

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The Knicks are looking to take the next step after coming up just two games short of reaching the NBA Finals this past season. They feel that Brown is the most qualified to be the person who potentially leads them to an NBA title next season.

New York has been active this offseason, as they also signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency. They are stacking up to prepare for a title run next season, and now they have a coach who will lead the charge.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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