Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins Reportedly Eyed More Seriously by Knicks amid HC Search
Having already been rebuffed by five different teams in their requests to interview replacements for Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks may finally be ready to start looking outside the realm of currently employed coaches in their search for a new bench boss.
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Knicks have an "increased" focus on Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins to fill their coaching vacancy.
Thibodeau was fired on June 3, four days after the Knicks' season-ending loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He was arguably their most successful head coach since Jeff Van Gundy left in the 2001-02 season.
It seemed like the decision to move off Thibodeau meant the Knicks had some assurance they would be able to get either their top choice, or at least one of their preferred candidates.
That hasn't been the case so far, with five different teams rejecting New York's request to speak with their coaches. That group includes Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets), Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks), Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls) and Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves).
Now that the Knicks seem likely to expand their search out of necessity, Brown and Jenkins are among the most qualified available options.
Brown has 11 years of experience as a head coach dating back to 2005-06. He helped oversee the turnaround for the Sacramento Kings when they ended their 17-year playoff drought in 2022-23 and won 94 games in his first two seasons with the club.
Jenkins went 250-214 with three playoff appearances in six seasons as head coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. He was on his way to a fourth postseason berth this season before the team surprisingly fired him on March 28, despite a 44-29 record and sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings at the time.
The Knicks figure to be one of the most attractive openings for a head coach this summer. They are coming off back-to-back 50-win seasons, have a strong core roster in place and are on the list of potential suitors if Kevin Durant is traded.
