The New York Knicks are gearing up to look for a new manager and Tom Thibodeau seems the early favorite to get the job.
Knicks’ basketball operations president Leon Rose has Thibodeau at the top of his list of potential coach candidates, Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov from The Athletic report. The team aims to make a decision within the next few weeks and Thibodeau is one of the many big names that have been linked to the job.
Thibodeau hasn’t trained since he was fired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in January 2019. The 62-year-old has been close to Rose for two decades because of Rose’s time as an agent at the CAA, which is the agency that represents Thibodeau. Thibodeau also worked as an assistant coach for the Knicks from 1996 to 2004, so he has previous ties to the organization.
Interim manager Mike Miller impressed Rose, so he should get an interview for the full-time coaching position. Former Brooklyn Nets manager Kenny Atkinson is also on the list, according to The Athletic.
Thibodeau recently downplayed the rumors that link him to the jobs of head coach and indicated that he doesn’t feel the need to resort to coaching. The connections between him and the organization cannot be ignored, however, and there has been talk that Thibodeau wants the job.