Knicks to add longtime NBA coach to staff

The Knicks are finalizing a deal to add Chris Jent to their coaching staff, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via X). He will assume the role of associate head coach and will likely be tasked with helping to spearhead the team’s offensive approach under head coach Mike Brown.

Jent worked as an assistant coach for the Hornets last season and was the head coach of the Hornets Summer League championship team this summer. He has been an assistant coach since the 2003/04 season, with a brief stint as the interim head coach of the 2004-05 Magic team that featured a rookie Dwight Howard.

Before his one season in Charlotte, he spent two years with the Lakers and five years with the Hawks. He was also an assistant for the 2006-07 Cavaliers team that lost in the Finals to the Spurs, a team that was also led by Brown as head coach.

Jent also played three games for the Knicks in the 1996-97 season, as well as being a low-minutes player on the Rockets’ 1993-94 championship team, where he averaged 5.6 minutes in 11 playoff games.

Jent has been rumored to be the front-runner for the position for some time now, along with the Pacers’ Mike Weiner. After Weiner withdrew his name from consideration, Jent was presumed to be the favorite candidate to win the role of offensive coordinator.