Knicks hiring Mike Brown as head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The final NBA coaching vacancy has been filled.
The New York Knicks reportedly will hire Mike Brown as their newest head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau last month.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on Wednesday.
Brown, 55, is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (2009 and 2023) with 11 seasons of experience as a head coach. Over stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and Sacramento Kings (2022-24), Brown has compiled a 454-304 regular season record. He has gone 50-40 in the postseason with one Finals appearance in 2007.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau following their most successful season in 25 years, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. Thibodeau was the Knicks’ coach for five seasons, posting a winning record four times and consecutive 50-win campaigns to end his tenure.
Brown, meanwhile, was fired by the Kings in December 2024 after a slow start to the season. In his 11 seasons as a head coach, he’s been fired mid-season twice but made the playoffs in seven of the other nine years.
New York will enter the 2025-26 season with title aspirations, especially given the state of the Eastern Conference. With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton likely out for the year due to Achilles tears, the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers figure to take a step back.
Led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks lacked bench depth last season — a weakness that president Leon Rose is seeking to address this summer. The team reportedly will sign guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Guerschon Yabusele to bolster the second unit.
There were several job openings this offseason, and the Knicks were the last team to hire a coach. The Phoenix Suns (Jordan Ott), San Antonio Spurs (Mitch Johnson), Memphis Grizzlies (Tuomas Iisalo) and Denver Nuggets (David Adelman) all made their decisions weeks or months ago.
Knicks hiring Mike Brown as head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau: Report
Brown has a 454-304 record in 11 seasons as a head coach.
The final NBA coaching vacancy has been filled.
The New York Knicks reportedly will hire Mike Brown as their newest head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau last month.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on Wednesday.
SIGN UP HERE Brown, 55, is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (2009 and 2023) with 11 seasons of experience as a head coach. Over stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and Sacramento Kings (2022-24), Brown has compiled a 454-304 regular season record. He has gone 50-40 in the postseason with one Finals appearance in 2007.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau following their most successful season in 25 years, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. Thibodeau was the Knicks’ coach for five seasons, posting a winning record four times and consecutive 50-win campaigns to end his tenure.
Brown, meanwhile, was fired by the Kings in December 2024 after a slow start to the season. In his 11 seasons as a head coach, he’s been fired mid-season twice but made the playoffs in seven of the other nine years.
New York will enter the 2025-26 season with title aspirations, especially given the state of the Eastern Conference. With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton likely out for the year due to Achilles tears, the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers figure to take a step back.
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Led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks lacked bench depth last season — a weakness that president Leon Rose is seeking to address this summer. The team reportedly will sign guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Guerschon Yabusele to bolster the second unit.
There were several job openings this offseason, and the Knicks were the last team to hire a coach. The Phoenix Suns (Jordan Ott), San Antonio Spurs (Mitch Johnson), Memphis Grizzlies (Tuomas Iisalo) and Denver Nuggets (David Adelman) all made their decisions weeks or months ago.
