New York Daily News

SECOND SHOT?

Ex-Knicks coach Woodson interviews for his old gig at the Garden

- STEFAN BONDY

The Knicks coaching search included a scheduled interview Friday with familiar face Mike Woodson, sources told the Daily News.

Woodson, 62, the former Knicks head coach, is among several candidates who’ve met with team brass via video conference. Woodson, like frontrunne­r Tom Thibodeau, has a connection to team president Leon Rose and top Knicks executive William Wesley because they represente­d him at CAA as agents. It’s possible that Woodson, who owns the highest winning percentage of a Knicks coach since Jeff Van Gundy, is hired as an assistant if he’s bypassed for the top job.

Woodson’s currently the Clippers assistant coach.

Mike Miller, the current Knicks interim head coach, interviewe­d Tuesday for the full-time position, sources told The News. Tom Thibodeau, Jason Kidd, Will Hardy and Chris Fleming have also been formally interviewe­d, according to sources and various reports.

The Knicks are not releasing informatio­n on the search and it’s unclear if the other known candidates — Kenny Atkinson, Jamahl Mosley, Mike Brown, Ime Udoka and Pat Delany — either scheduled or already held their virtual meetings. Wesley, GM Scott Perry and top strategist Brock Aller have been conducting the interviews for the Knicks, according to sources.

The Knicks plan to finish this round of meetings early next week and select finalists for another round, a source said.

Thibodeau has long been considered the favorite as a former CAA client and folks around the league have expressed skepticism that this is really an open search, rather than just an intel gathering exercise. Rose, however, presented it as thoroughne­ss and due diligence.

“We’re looking at a lot of different people with a lot of different mindsets, philosophi­es,” Rose said recently on MSG Network. “And for me personally, this is educationa­l, and I need to make sure that we go through this process and we dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘T’ in order to make the right decision.”

Rose did not speak about specific candidates except Miller, who went 17-27 last season after taking over for David Fizdale (who was 418 when he was fired).

“What I witnessed before I was here and what I saw being around Mike Miller — first-class,” Rose said. “Did a great job in a very difficult situation, and we’re so appreciati­ve of that.”

Woodson, meanwhile, can sell a stint with the Knicks that included a 54win campaign in 2012-13 and the franchise’s only playoff series victory of the last 20 years.

“I was just hoping one day to get a shot to come back and I think this is a wonderful opportunit­y now,” Woodson said recently on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “I thank the Knicks for reaching out to me and putting me in position. That’s all you can ask for as a coach when you go out and start interviewi­ng for these jobs. So I’m excited about it, I really am.”

 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States