Knicks Set to Welcome Former Mike Brown Assistant

Mike Brown has added a plus-one on his maiden metropolitan voyage with the New York Knicks.

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks will add former Brown assistant Riccardo Fois to the coaching staff as he embarks on his first pressure-packed year in Manhattan. Fois, 38, previously worked under Brown during his final hours leading the Sacramento Kings and Katz mentioned that he is currently conspiring with Knicks management like Brown and president Leon Rose in Las Vegas while New York's prospects engage in Summer League play.

The Italian-born Fois, who previously starred at Pepperdine University, has also been an assistant coach at the University of Arizona, reaching the Sweet 16 in two of his three seasons working under Tommy Lloyd. That tenure also included two Pac-12 titles and a top seed honor in 2022. Elsewhere on the collegiate level, Fois was director of analytics at Gonzaga University, helping the accomplished men's program reaching its first national championship game in 2017.

Fois was also the director of player development when the Phoenix Suns made their run to the 2021 NBA Finals and personally worked with current Knicks starter Mikal Bridges.

"Riccardo is one of the most hard working people I know," Bridges previously said of Fois when the latter left for the Wildcats in 2021, per Arizona athletics. "All he cares about is getting people better and winning. The best thing about him is he's an even greater person. He helped me a lot with developing my game and never letting me get too comfortable."

Bringing on Fois is the next step of Brown forming his first Knicks staff, one that is said to be welcoming back Tom Thibodeau holdovers Rick Brunson, Mark Bryant, Maurice Cheeks and Darren Erman.