New York Knicks Add Key Member To Coaching Staff

Look, when a college coach with a .438 winning percentage suddenly becomes hot property for an NBA franchise, you know there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Billy Lange’s departure from Saint Joseph’s to join Mike Brown’s coaching staff with the New York Knicks isn’t just another coaching carousel spin—it’s a testament to the complex chess game that is professional basketball development. Will it work out well for both sides?

The Saint Joseph’s Exodus: When Mediocrity Meets Opportunity

Let’s not sugarcoat this: Lange’s tenure at Saint Joseph’s was about as exciting as watching paint dry in a Philadelphia winter. Six seasons, an 81-104 record, and zero NCAA Tournament appearances don’t exactly scream “hire me immediately.” But here’s where it gets interesting—sometimes failure at one level translates to wisdom at another.

The Hawks never quite caught fire under Lange’s leadership, consistently finishing below .500 in his first four seasons. Even when they managed a respectable 22-13 record last season and made the NIT, it felt more like a participation trophy than a genuine breakthrough. The program has been desperately searching for relevance since Phil Martelli’s glory days, and Lange simply couldn’t deliver that magic.

But basketball isn’t always about wins and losses on paper. Sometimes it’s about understanding systems, developing players, and having that intangible ability to connect with athletes at different stages of their careers.

Why the Knicks See Gold In Lange’s Experience

The Knicks didn’t just throw a dart at a coaching directory and land on Lange’s name. His eight-year stint as a Philadelphia 76ers assistant from 2011-2019 tells a different story than his college coaching record suggests. In the NBA, Lange witnessed firsthand how elite athletes think, prepare, and execute under the most intense pressure imaginable.

Mike Brown, fresh off replacing Tom Thibodeau after the team’s most successful season in decades, understands that building a championship-caliber coaching staff requires diverse perspectives. Brown himself knows the pressure of high expectations—he’s a two-time NBA Coach of the Year who’s tasted both the sweetness of success and the bitterness of disappointment.

Lange brings something invaluable to the table: the humility of recent struggle combined with NBA-level experience. He’s seen what works and what doesn’t work, both in college development and professional excellence. That’s a perspective you can’t teach in coaching clinics.

The Development Connection

Here is what makes this hire fascinating from a basketball development standpoint: Lange actually succeeded in getting Rasheer Fleming drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder—the first Saint Joseph’s player selected since 2016. In a program starving for NBA-level talent, Lange managed to identify, develop, and showcase a player who caught the attention of one of the league’s most analytically sophisticated franchises.

The Knicks have been building something special, and their playoff run that ended in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Indiana Pacers showed they’re on the right trajectory. Adding someone who understands both the grind of player development and the nuances of NBA preparation makes perfect sense.

What This Means Moving Forward

Saint Joseph’s will now turn to Steve Donahue as interim head coach, bringing in a veteran with 23 years of head coaching experience. It’s a safe, steady choice for a program that needs stability more than fireworks right now. For the Knicks, this hire represents something bigger than just adding another voice to the coaching room. It is about creating a culture where every coach brings a unique perspective to player development, game preparation, and team chemistry.

The NBA has become increasingly complex, with analytics, player psychology, and tactical innovation all playing crucial roles in success. Teams need coaches who understand not just X’s and O’s, but also how to connect with players, adapt to different personalities, and contribute to a winning environment.

Lange’s journey from Navy to the 76ers to Saint Joseph’s and now to the Knicks reads like a basketball odyssey. Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from the struggles, the near-misses, and the moments when things don’t go according to plan. The Knicks are betting that Lange’s diverse experience, including his recent humbling at the college level, will translate into valuable insights at the highest level of professional basketball.