Knicks reportedly hire new head coach

The New York Knicks have reportedly found their new head coach.

Mike Brown is expected to be named the new head coach of the Knicks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday.

Brown emerged as the frontrunner for the Knicks recently, but only after the team was denied permission to interview several other head coaches who are currently under contract with others teams. There were rumblings that Jason Kidd wanted the job and might try to force his way out of Dallas, though he will remain as head coach of the Mavericks.

Brown most recently coached the Sacramento Kings from 2022-2024. He inherited a team in 2022 that had missed the postseason for 16 straight seasons and led them to a 48-34 record and a playoff berth. Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2023.

Brown went 46-36 in his second year with Sacramento and missed the playoffs. He was then fired earlier this season after the Kings got off to a 13-18 start.

Prior to his stint in Sacramento, Brown had two separate stints as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a brief tenure in the same role with the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached LeBron James in Cleveland and won his first NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2009.

Brown was also an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for several seasons and won three NBA titles with the team. He won another championship as an assistant with the Indiana Pacers in 2003.

It is obvious that Brown was not the Knicks’ first choice, but he will bring plenty of experience to The Big Apple. The same could be said for Tom Thibodeau, who just led the team on an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals.