Knicks to Hire Ex-Lakers, Kings Coach for Mike Brown's Staff

Brown is certainly a qualified and experienced enough coach to take on the position, even though the job comes with very high expectations. Brown exceeded expectations while the head coach of the Kings, helping the franchise snap a 16-year playoff drought and giving the fanbase some hope.

Now, Brown continues to piece together his new-look coaching staff, which has been headlined by some veteran assistants. His newest addition is 21-year NBA coach Chris Jent, who the Knicks are hiring to come in as an assistant under Brown.

"Charlotte Hornets assistant Chris Jent is finalizing a deal to become the associate head coach of the New York Knicks under Mike Brown, sources tell ESPN. New York and Tyler Glass of CSE Talent negotiated terms for Jent, who returns to Knicks where he spent 1996-97 as a player," ESPN's Shams Charania reports.

Jent has been an NBA assistant coach since 2003 and has spent time with a handful of organizations. Jent spent the 2024-25 season with the Charlotte Hornets, but has also made stops with the Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and more.

This is not the first time Mike Brown has targeted a former Kings coach to join his new-look staff, but their relationship stems from their time together in Cleveland. Jent spent four seasons working under Brown when he was the head coach of the Cavaliers, and now the two will join forces again in New York.

"Jent has been an NBA assistant for over two decades and now assumes an elevated role as a significant hire for Brown. He won a title as a player with the Rockets in 1994. And guided the Hornets to the Las Vegas summer league championship in July," Charania concluded.