New York Daily News

BEST COACH CHOICES FOR KNICKS:

Jay in hunt, but JVG & Jackson best options

- FRANK ISOLA

The Knicks, according to a source, have already reached out to Jerry Stackhouse’s representa­tives and similar calls are expected to be placed with Mark Jackson, David Fizdale, David Blatt, Jay Wright and perhaps both Jeff Van Gundy and Doc Rivers.

While 16 teams prepare for the postseason, the Knicks are preparing for what they do often but not necessaril­y well: search for a new head coach. Maybe we can help. Stackhouse and Wright are both intriguing candidates. Stackhouse has developed into a solid coach, working first as an assistant in Toronto and then guiding the Raptors G-League affiliate. Stackhouse is also in play with the Orlando Magic and will be a candidate in Milwaukee and Charlotte should those clubs make a coaching change.

Wright, winner of two of the last three NCAA titles at Villanova, is regarded as the top NBA prospect among current college head coaches. The Daily News has learned that the Knicks have had internal discussion­s about pursuing Wright.

He has interest in coaching in the NBA and the Knicks have the resources to land him.

“The NBA does intrigue me,” Wright recently told The Athletic. “That challenge is appealing, but it’s not worth giving up working with these guys. The whole thing is, to take a new challenge you have to give up what you have. I don’t want to give up what I have. Would I like to coach in the NBA? Yes. But I have to give this up in order to do that, and I don’t see that happening.”

Wright has built a dynasty at the suburban Philadelph­ia campus and according to a person close to the program, there are powerful alums who are prepared to do what it takes financiall­y to keep Wright at Villanova.

“He told me years ago that he wanted to make Villanova into the Duke of the Northeast,” says a person close to Wright. “It would take a lot for him to leave.”

Over the years Wright has maintained a friendly relationsh­ip with former Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy. Wright would occasional­ly visit the Knicks training facility when he coached at Hofstra.

You can’t go wrong with Stackhouse or Wright.

Blatt has Princeton connection­s with both Knicks president Steve Mills and VP of Player Developmen­t Craig Robinson. Fizdale has Miami Heat DNA, which is never a bad thing.

What could hurt both candidates is that Mills and general manager Scott Perry stress that they’re looking for a coach who communicat­es well with players. Blatt, of course, had a falling out with LeBron James in Cleveland while Fizdale and Marc Gasol were feuding in Memphis. How significan­t of a hurdle that is remains to be seen. But it’s a hurdle. They are more of a gamble. That’s why the most obvious choices also happen to be the favorites of the Knicks fans who believe the front office would be wise to look back in order to go forward.

Jackson and Van Gundy have head coaching experience and winning records. They’re also connected to the franchise’s glory years and immensely popular among the fans.

Van Gundy and Jackson understand the New York market and know how to navigate the land mines at Madison Square Garden. They are both strong willed, discipline­d head coaches who would give a rebuilding team both a face and a powerful voice.

Van Gundy, who famously latched onto Alonzo Mourning’s leg during a fight in the 1998 NBA Playoffs, is the last Knicks coach to have any prolonged

success.

JVG has 37 playoff wins on his resume as Knicks head coach. Since he abruptly resigned in 2001, the Knicks have appeared in 25 total playoff games. Yes, it’s been a lean two decades.

Van Gundy hasn’t coached an NBA game in 11 years, but he’s stayed close to the game as both a broadcaste­r with ABC/ESPN and as coach of the U.S. national team for World Cup qualifying. That job was one way for Van Gundy to demonstrat­e to NBA executives that he’s ready to return to coaching full-time.

As for Jackson, depending on whom you talk to around the league, he is regarded as the leader at this point. Of course, Jackson was in a similar position 10 years ago until Donnie Walsh suddenly decided to hire Mike D’Antoni. Jackson was said to be so sure that the job

was his that he began to assemble a staff, one that would have included former Knicks trainer Mike Saunders.

Jackson was eventually hired by Golden State prior to the 201112 season and went 23-43 during the lockout year. The next season, the Warriors improved to 47 wins and the following year 51. A falling out with management led to Jackson’s dismissal even though the Warriors reached the playoffs for two straight years.

But with the Knicks focused on rebuilding and player developmen­t, Jackson can point to inheriting a young backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and helping to turn them into All Stars. During free agency he recruited Andre Iguodala to the Warriors and Iguodala would later become a Finals MVP.

This is an important period for the club, especially with the Knicks facing an uncertain future. The front office can’t afford to miss with this one. Or else there will be another coaching search in two years but with a newly installed regime making the pick.

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 ?? AP ?? The Knicks have had discussion­s about going after Villanova coach Jay Wright (above), but the team would be better served returning to the good old days by making either former head coach Jeff Van Gundy or ex-Knick star Mark Jackson their top two...
AP The Knicks have had discussion­s about going after Villanova coach Jay Wright (above), but the team would be better served returning to the good old days by making either former head coach Jeff Van Gundy or ex-Knick star Mark Jackson their top two...

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