The New York Knicks are coming off their best season in 25 years. They had two All-NBA players in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. They came within two wins of making the NBA Finals.
But now, they need a new head coach.
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WATCH HERETom Thibodeau was fired Tuesday after five seasons with the team, surprising many fans after he led the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. He went 226-174 with New York, making the playoffs four times after the team had four postseason berths in the prior 19 years combined.
So, who could the Knicks hire next as the team aims to win its first title since 1973? The core of the roster remains in place, with Brunson, Towns and their top-seven rotation players all under contract for next season.
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SIGN UP With that in mind, here are five potential candidates to replace Thibodeau:
Michael Malone, former Denver Nuggets head coach
Previous work: Malone's resume speaks for itself -- he led the Nuggets to a title in 2023 and compiled a 471-327 record over 10 seasons in Denver. It all ended this year, though, with his stunning April firing just before the playoffs. Malone also spent two seasons as the Sacramento Kings head coach. Plus, he has deep New York ties as a Queens native and Knicks assistant from 2001-05.
Future work: At 53 years old, it's extremely likely that Malone isn't done coaching. His recent championship should get him a job in short order, especially for a team like the Knicks that believes it has a title window open. Whether or not they actually do is a different question -- one that Malone will have to answer for himself.
Johnnie Bryant, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach
Previous work: Despite coaching for the Cavaliers under Kenny Atkinson last season, Bryant is most known for his work with the Knicks. He was Thibodeau's associate head coach from 2020-24. While Bryant has never been a head coach in the NBA, his years of familiarity with these Knicks players could give him an advantage.
Future work: It's looking more and more likely that Bryant could be one-and-done in Cleveland. He was one of the two finalists for the Phoenix Suns' head coaching job, before the team hired Jordan Ott on Wednesday. Now, the Knicks figure to pursue him. Bryant, at just 39 years old, has all the makings of an NBA head coach -- and in the very near future.
Dan Hurley, UConn head coach
Previous work: The historic Hurley family is revered in New Jersey basketball, from Hall of Fame father Bob coaching in high school to Dan and his brother Bobby playing for him. This would represent a homecoming for Hurley, who has won two national titles since becoming UConn's head coach in 2018. He was in the mix for the Los Angeles Lakers' job last summer before opting to return to Connecticut to chase a three-peat.
Future work: If there's an NBA job that Hurley would actually leave UConn for, it's probably this one. Part of his decision to stay in college last year came down to his family, which prefers being in the tristate area. A move from Storrs to Manhattan would get his family even closer to New Jersey, but it would obviously offer less job security than he's amassed at UConn.
Jay Wright, former Villanova head coach
Previous work: Wright's best days as the Villanova head coach were with three of the Knicks' best players leading the way. Brunson and Mikal Bridges led Wright's Wildcats to two national titles (2016, 2018), and Josh Hart played a leading role in the first championship. Wright, now 63 years old, retired from coaching in 2022 after going 520-197 over 21 seasons with Villanova.
Future work: It's unclear if Wright would ever get back on the sidelines again. He's turned down all rumors of interest in job openings over the last three years, instead working as a TV analyst for CBS and TNT. Wright has never coached in the NBA, but a job like this -- working with his former players and a chance to win a championship -- might be able to coax him out of retirement.
Jeff Van Gundy, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach
Previous work: Younger basketball fans know Van Gundy for his rants on ESPN broadcasts, but he had a long coaching career before his years calling the NBA Finals. He spent much of his childhood in New York, then coached as an assistant for nearby Rutgers (1988-89) and the Knicks (1989-96). Van Gundy was promoted to Knicks head coach in 1996, leading them to the NBA Finals in 1999 before his unexpected resignation in 2001. Last season, Van Gundy returned to the bench as the Los Angeles Clippers' lead assistant.
Future work: Van Gundy clearly aspires to be a head coach again -- why else would he become a lead assistant? At 63 years old (four years younger than Thibodeau), he likely still has some time to get back to the big seat. The Knicks rekindling the relationship would be surprising, but you can't rule it out.
