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Knicks new head coach has a passionate desire to win with new team

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 10:58 AM ET

As the New York Knicks made the hiring of Mike Brown as the new head coach official earlier this week, many wondered why things fell apart during the end of his tenure as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. From his midseason departure to this past week, Brown was out of a job with an unclear future.

Knicks’ Mike Brown happy to be back into coaching

However, the Knicks landed on him as the guy after a month-long, intense coaching search that saw them connect with several different candidates. In his introductory press conference, Brown expressed how he was excited to get back into coaching despite the fallout in Sacramento.

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“I’m passionate about coaching. I want to win,” Brown said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Geoff Magliocchetti). “You want to be in a great place that has like thinking, and so I know for me, especially speaking with [Knicks owner James] Dolan, speaking with [Knicks president] Leon [Rose] … knowing who [Rose] is as a person, knowing that I’d love to partner with him.”

Brown coached the Kings for three seasons from 2022-24, but was fired this past season after a 13-18 start. However, he compiled a strong resume in Sacramento with a 107-88 regular season record and a playoff appearance in 2023, the first for the Kings franchise in well over a decade.

Brown will have big expectations next season

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That same 2023 season, Brown won his second Coach of the Year award, with the first being with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2009. Brown has an overall head coaching record of 454-304 (.599), which is one of the highest win percentages for a coach all-time.

He now joins a Knicks team with very high expectations, with many believing that anything less than a championship is a failure. However, Brown is ready to face those expectations and hopes to prove the doubters wrong in his first season as head coach.

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

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