Tom Thibodeau's Knicks Firing Continues COTY Curse

When Tom Thibodeau walks out of his office from the New York Knicks' facility for the final time, he'll carry one of the most cursed trinkets in recent NBA memory out with him.

Thibodeau's surprise ousting from the Knicks continues one of the more puzzling curses on the modern Association ledgers: beyond the last two victors (Mark Daigneault and Kenny Atkinson), each of the last six winners of the NBA Coach of the Year title have been fired within four years of gaining the crown. Thibodeau won the award for his work with the Knicks in the shortened 2020-21 season, which saw New York place fourth on the Eastern Conference bracket with a 41-31 tally.

• 2018: Dwane Casey, Toronto (fired 2018)
• 2019: Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee (fired 2023)
• 2020: Nick Nurse, Toronto (fired 2023)
• 2021: Tom Thibodeau, KNICKS (fired 2025)
• 2022: Monty Williams, Phoenix (fired 2023)
• 2023: Mike Brown, Sacramento (fired 2024)

The list extends to seven if Mike D'Antoni, the 2017 winner who resigned from the Houston Rockets three years later, is counted.

Thibodeau earned the title, his second after previously prevailing with the Chicago Bulls in 2010-11, for guiding the Knicks to the playoffs in his first year at the helm. Though New York fell in five to the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round, it was a monumental showing, as it was the Knicks' first playoff appearance in eight years.

After the one-sided showing against Atlanta, Thibodeau went on to reach the playoffs in all but one of his final four seasons, capping his tenure by guiding the Knicks to their first conference finals showing in a quarter-century. Alongside with Joe Mazzulla of Boston, Thibodeau was one of two coaches to win at least one series in each of the last three editions of the NBA Playoffs.

All that and more, however, wasn't enough to give Thibodeau a sixth season and the Knicks will embark upon their first coaching search since firing David Fizdale in late 2019.

Both Daigneault and Atkinson have positioned themselves well to end the curse: the former is set to compete in the NBA Finals at the helm of the Oklahoma City Thunder while Atkinson, a former Knicks assistant, was recently feted for guiding the Cleveland Cavaliers to the top of the Eastern Conference.