The Knicks they completed the second set of interviews for their coaching job, according to Newsday’s Steve Popper.
As indicated by last month’s report – and as president of basketball operations Leon Rose subsequently confirmed – the Knicks’ search process involved a first round of informal meetings with candidates for his position as head coach. Most recently, the club conducted a second series of more formal interviews.
It is unclear whether the Knicks are now ready to make their decision or whether the organization will narrow its initial list of 11 candidates to a smaller group of finalists before finalizing a contract. Rose said during his appearance on the MSG Network last month that he expects the team to make a decision about his permanent head coach before the NBA resumes its season at the end of the month in Florida.
According to Popper, Tom Thibodeau – who has been considered the pioneer since the beginning of the trial – remains the favorite of probabilities. However, the search for New York has been wide-ranging.
In addition to Thibodeau and interim head coach Mike Miller, the club also interviewed the former network technician Kenny Atkinson, former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, former Bucks and Nets coach Jason Kidd, former Lakers and Cavs coach Mike Brownand five current assistants with no coaching experience, including Ime Udoka of the six.
The complete list of candidates is available on our coaching tracker for 2020.
Here’s more about the Knicks:
- The Knicks will have the opportunity to get to know “the Spurs way “during their coaching interviews, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, who points out that in addition to the current Spurs assistant Will Hardy, Udoka also served Gregg Popovichstaff.
- In a postal envelope for the New York Post, Berman discusses the Knicks’ coaching decision, potential off-season goals, Allonzo Trierdeparture and more.
- Executive Knicks Craig Robinson the next executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches has been appointed (link Twitter). Robinson has an expiring deal with New York and is expected to be retained by the new management team, led by Rose.
