Why did the Knicks hire Mike Brown? New York's coaching saga ends with NBA journeyman after Tom Thibodeau firing

After a unique process, the Knicks have found their head coach.

As of Wednesday, New York is expected to make Mike Brown its new head coach, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The expected hire ends a saga that began with the firing of Tom Thibodeau on June 3. In the time since, the Knicks exhausted several options, including denied requests to speak with head coaches currently under contract with other franchises.

In the end, New York decided on Brown, a two-time Coach of the Year who was fired 31 games into the 2024-25 season with Sacramento. The 55-year-old has spent the better part of the past four decades with NBA franchises, as his career began as a video coordinator in 1992.

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Nearly 35 years after getting his start in the league, Brown is set to lead one of the most famous franchises in professional sports. Here's why the Knicks decided to make Brown their next lead man.

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Why did the Knicks hire Mike Brown?

In Brown, the Knicks add an experienced head coach with an impressive recent track record, which includes revitalizing the Kings' offense from 2022 to 2024 and orchestrating the Warriors' championship defense in 2021-22.

During the interview process, Brown is believed to have made a good impression, garnering support from the franchise's decision makers. One of the biggest deciding factors with Brown is his experience, which should allow him to maximize the talent already on a Knicks team that won 51 games last season.

Brown was the choice after Knicks president Leon Rose conducted a multi-round interview process with the team's head coaching candidates.

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Knicks coaching search timeline

The search effectively began when Thibodeau was fired on June 3, setting off a series of reports around New York's interest in coaching candidates.

It began with reports of interest in Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, and those reports escalated to Dallas denying New York's request to speak with Kidd on June 11. In addition to Kidd, New York's requests to speak with Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, Quin Snyder, and Billy Donovan were all denied.

On June 12, reports surfaced that the franchise was 'expected to pursue' Brown and Taylor Jenkins, with interviews lined up for both. The Knicks also conducted interviews with Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Pelicans assistant James Borrego.

While New York was also linked to South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley, talks with Brown and Jenkins intensified as both were brought in for second interviews.

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Mike Brown coaching timeline, record

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