The New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Mike Brown, former head coach of the Sacramento Kings, is the betting favorite to become the next head coach of the Knicks. Brown is +125 odds at several online bookmakers.
Taylor Jenkins, ex-head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, is +175 odds to take over the Knicks. Johnnie Bryant, a former assistant coach with the Knicks, is the third favorite on the board at +400. At least three head coaches who have won titles since the pandemic are currently available, including Michael Malone (+500), Mike Budenholzer (+2500), and Frank Vogel (+3000).
Knicks Denied by 5 Teams
Although fans and members of the Knicks had a love/hate relationship with Thibodeau, his dismissal was not completely surprising. However, the front office’s initial search for a head coach has been questionable and outright weird, with the team chasing after currently employed head coaches.
Teams with coaching vacancies need permission to speak to a head coach currently under a contract, and five teams said no to the Knicks. The list includes Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets), Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks), and Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls).
So, let’s take a quick look at the current candidates:
Mike Brown +125
Last Coached: Sacramento Kings
Career Record: 454-304
NBA Titles: 4 as an assistant coach
Brown, a two-time Coach of the Year winner, had two stints with the Cleveland Cavs. He also coached the L.A. Lakers and Kings. After winning the 2023 NBA Coach of the Year with the Kings, they fired Brown 31 games into his third season.
Brown has an old-school mentality with a reputation as a “screamer”, which does not mesh with the current generation of coddled players. His schtick wore thin in Sacramento.
Brown is on a branch off the Gregg Popovich coaching tree and won a title as an assistant coach with the 2003 San Antonio Spurs. He also won three more rings as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors between 2017 and 2022.
Brown has a 90-50 record in the playoffs. He led the Cavs to a berth in the 2007 NBA Finals, but were swept by the Spurs.
Tyler Jenkins +175
Last Coached: Memphis Grizzlies
Career Record: 250-214
NBA Titles: 0
Tyler Jenkins is an Ivy League graduate and a part of the Mike Budenholzer coaching tree. He was an assistant coach on Budenholzer’s staff with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. Jenkins took over as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019.
The Grizzlies terminated Jenkins in the final week of the season, which was a surprise because he had a 44-29 record. Many fans adored Jenkins during his tenure in Grind City, but felt he got a bad break from management. The Grizzlies were unlucky with injuries the last few seasons. Jenkins also had to navigate the drama surrounding All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who battled injuries and suspensions for his affinity for firearms.
Jenkins led the Grizzlies to a 9-14 postseason record and only advanced past the opening round once.
Johnnie Bryant +400
Last Coached: Current assistant with the Cleveland Cavs
Career Record: 0-0
NBA Titles: 0
The well-respected Johnnie Bryant is considered one of the top assistant coaches in the NBA. He spent six years with Utah Jazz and four years under Thibodeau and the Knicks. He narrowly missed out on head coaching jobs the last few seasons, including the Utah Jazz in 2023 and the Phoenix Suns this summer.
Many fans would love Bryant to return to the sidelines at Madison Square Garden. He’s the third favorite at +400 odds and has the best odds out of any assistant coaches who lack head coaching experience.
Michael Malone +500
Last Coached: Denver Nuggets
Career Record: 510-394
NBA Titles: 1 (2023 Nuggets)
The Denver Nuggets shocked the hoops world when they fired head coach Michael Malone in the last week of this season. Malone had won an NBA championship with the Nuggets only two years prior, yet the owner sent him packing after ten seasons and one title. Malone posted an exceptional 80-44 record in the playoffs and led the Nuggets to six consecutive postseason berths.
Malone grew up in Brooklyn and has ties to the Knicks. His father, Brendan Malone, was a long-time NBA assistant coach who spent three stints with the Knicks as an assistant coach.
James Borrego +220
Last Coached: Charlotte Hornets
Career Record: 148-183
NBA Titles: 2 as an assistant coach
James Borrego got his coaching start with the San Antonio Spurs, and he’s another member of the Popovich coaching tree. He won two titles as an assistant coach with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007.
Borrego became the first Latino head coach in NBA history when the Charlotte Hornets hired him in 2018. He spent four full seasons with the Hornets before he was fired in 2022. He’s currently an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Mike Budenholzer +2500
Last Coached: Phoenix Suns
Career Record: 520-363
NBA Titles: 1 (2021 Bucks), 4 as an assistant
Budenholzer is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner in 2015 and 2019. He began his career as an assistant coach with the Spurs in 1996 and was also mentored by Popovich. He won four titles as a Spurs assistant between 1999 and 2007.
Budenholzer was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons and spent five more with the Milwaukee Bucks. He led the 2020-21 Bucks to their first championship in 50 years. He spent a one-and-done season with the dysfunctional Suns this season, but they fired him after missing the playoffs with a 36-46 record.
Budenholzer won 60 games twice in the regular season. He has a stellar 104-56 postseason record with one title and three trips to the conference finals.
Rick Brunson +2200
Last Coached: Current assistant with the Knicks
Career Record: 0-0
NBA Titles: 0
Rick Brunson, the father of superstar Jalen Brunson, was a journeyman NBA player who spent two stints with the Knicks over 25 years ago. Brunson worked as an assistant coach with five different teams since 2007. The Knicks hired Brunson as an assistant coach in 2022 to lure Jalen to NYC, which worked.
Steve Nash +2500
Last Coached: Brooklyn Nets
Career Record: 94-67
NBA Titles: 0
Steve Nash is a two-time NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star. Although he never paid his dues as an assistant coach, he took over as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2020 after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurned the Knicks and signed with the Nets instead. He led the Nets to back-to-back playoff berths, but he only went 7-9 in the postseason.
The Nets fired Nash seven games into his third season after a sluggish 2-5 start. He has not coached in the NBA or anywhere else since then.
Jeff Van Gundy +3000
Last Coached: Houston Rockets
Career Record: 430-318
NBA Titles: 0
If the Knicks are feeling nostalgic, then they’ll bring back Jeff Van Gundy, who spent five full seasons as the head coach of the Knicks in the rough and tumble 1990s. Van Gundy was initially hired as an assistant coach in 1989 and mentored by Pat Riley in the early 90s.
Van Gundy took over as head coach of the Knicks in 1996 and led them to a trip to the 2000 NBA Finals. The Knicks lost to the Spurs that year, which marked the closest the Knicks got to winning their first championship since 1973.
Van Gundy resigned at the start of the 2001 season because his head wasn’t in the game after he lost his best friend in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. After a break, he returned to coaching the Houston Rockets for four seasons.
Van Gundy has a 44-44 record in the playoffs. He’s currently an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers, but he’s a long shot to return to the Knicks at +3000 odds.
Frank Vogel +3000
Last Coached: Phoenix Suns
Career Record: 480-422
NBA Titles: 1 (2020 L.A. Lakers)
Frank Vogel’s mentor is Rick Pitino, and he joined Pinto’s staff with the Boston Celtics in 2001. Vogel had head coaching stints with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Lakers, and Suns. He led the 2020 Lakers to a title in the “NBA Bubble” during the pandemic.
The Lakers fired Vogel at the end of a dismal season when they went 33-49 and missed the playoffs. He became the scapegoat even though the Lakers were a hot mess that season with injuries and Russell Westbrook drama that fractured the locker room.
Vogel spent a one-and-done season with the Suns even though they went 49-33. He was fired in 2024 after getting swept in the first round. He has a 49-43 career record in the playoffs.
Dan Hurley +4000
Last Coached: Current head coach of the UCONN Huskies
Career Record: 0-0
NBA Titles: 0
Dan Hurley won back-to-back March Madness titles with UCONN in 2023 and 2024. He’s a long shot at coaching the Knicks at +4000 odds because he turned down a six-year contract worth $70 million to coach the Lakers last summer. Hurley decided to stay in Connecticut and remain in the collegiate ranks.
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