2 coaches emerge as new favorites for Knicks job

After weeks of extensive digging, the New York Knicks’ head coaching search may finally be rounding into shape.

The Knicks have recently held multiple-day interviews with former NBA head coaches Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported on Monday. Edwards adds that both interviews were considered “impressive” and that Jenkins and Brown now appear to be the two frontrunners for the job.

The news comes roughly three weeks after the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. Though Thibodeau had been in his post since 2020 and just led the team to their very first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000, the Knicks still decided to move in a different direction.

Both Jenkins, 40, and Brown, 55, would be strong options. The former used to coach the Memphis Grizzlies, leading them to multiple division titles and 50-win seasons during his time there from 2019-25. Meanwhile, the latter is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year who most recently guided the Sacramento Kings in 2023 to their first playoff berth in nearly two decades. Brown was also a four-time champion as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors from 2016-22.

Up to this point, the Knicks’ head coaching search has largely been a wild goose chase. They requested permission to interview no fewer than five currently-employed NBA head coaches but were denied by the respective teams of all of them.

The Knicks are still holding out hope that at least one of those currently-employed options might somehow be able to defect to them. But right now, it appears that the likes of Jenkins and Brown, both of whom are fully available, are the more realistic choices.