The Knicks have found their next head coach.
New York is hiring Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau, league sources told The Daily News.
Brown, one of only 11 coaches in NBA history to win Coach of the Year honors twice, steps into the Madison Square Garden spotlight after two-plus seasons with the Sacramento Kings. There, he ended the franchise’s record 16-year playoff drought and guided both De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to their first All-Star appearances.
Sacramento’s decision to part ways with Brown after a 13-18 start this past season shocked many around the league. But according to a source, the Knicks quickly identified Brown as a top target early in their search for Thibodeau’s successor. Thibodeau, who was dismissed after leading New York to back-to-back 50-win seasons and its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years, set a high bar for whoever would follow.
Now, it’s Brown’s job to raise the bar to heights unseen since the 1970s.
The veteran coach brings championship pedigree to New York. Brown has won four titles as an assistant — first with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, then three more under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors. As a head coach, he led LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 and owns a career record of 492-305 over 11 seasons.
He inherits a Knicks roster built to contend immediately. And with the Eastern Conference wide open following major injuries to stars across the landscape, Brown’s arrival signals an all-in push for New York’s first title since 1973.
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