The New York Knicks have reportedly started a list of candidates to fill the vacant head coach position, and according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, former Minnesota head coach Timberwolves and basketball operations president Tom Thibodeau is on top of that list.
Thibodeau, who was fired from the wild wolves in January 2019, would have replaced David Fizdale. Fizdale was fired in December after raising the Knicks to 4-18, just 19 months on a four-year contract. The Knicks’ start was so horrendous that Thibodeau was mentioned as a job candidate even before Fizdale was officially fired.
The Knicks have not confirmed that they are considering Thibodeau. Not even Thibodeau, probably because saying “I’d like to train the Knicks” is rightly considered a cry for help. The Knicks have had five coaches since 2015, seven in total in the past 10 years and another six in the previous decade. Not even Spinal Tap replaced their drummers at that rate.
In addition to Thibodeau, the Knicks are reportedly taking into account current interim coach Mike Miller and former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks have no plans to conduct interviews while the NBA season is suspended.