New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown reacts during the first half against the Washington Wizards. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks' Mike Brown Gets Concerning HC Ranking

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 9:00 AM ET

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is going into his first season with the team, where expectations will be very high after narrowly missing out on a berth to the NBA Finals.

CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn ranked all 30 head coaches before the start of the season and Brown came in at No. 18 on the list.

"Mike Brown teams always defend. Even the defensively inept Kings rosters of the past few seasons have hovered around league-average," Quinn wrote.

"Offense has usually been the problem. His bizarre decision to try to implement the Princeton offense with the 2012-13 Lakers was a contributor to his stunning dismissal only five games into the season. The 2022-23 Kings, who posted historic numbers, were far more modern. But the league seemingly caught up a year later. Suddenly, the Kings couldn't get to the basket to save their lives, and Brown couldn't adjust. Some of last year's decisions were downright bizarre. Why exactly was he bringing Keon Ellis off of the bench when he was the only reliable 3-and-D player on the team?"

"As offensive creativity and better lineup management were two of the major reasons the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, Brown will be put to the test early and often this season, though the early preseason returns have been encouraging."

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacts during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolve John Jones-Imagn Images

Brown gets low head coach ranking

The only coaches that ranked below Brown were Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls), J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons), Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons), Doc Rivers (Milwaukee Bucks), Darko Rajakovic (Toronto Raptors), Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans), Brian Keefe (Washington Wizards), Tuomas Iisalo (Memphis Grizzlies), Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs), Charles Lee (Charlotte Hornets), Doug Christie (Sacramento Kings) and Jordan Ott (Phoenix Suns).

If the Knicks are going to be a contender, Brown has to be one of the best head coaches in the NBA. It's understandable to have him this low because he hasn't coached a game yet for the Knicks and was fired less than a year ago from the Kings, but he is still a former Coach of the Year and has the tools to be a top-tier coach in the NBA.

Brown will likely move up this ladder as the season rolls along because of the roster the Knicks boast, but he has to prove why the organization brought him to replace Tom Thibodeau in the first place. If Brown doesn't prove the front office right, the Knicks won't reach their goals.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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