Knicks hope they found their Coughlin
Tom Coughlin was hired as Giants coach in 2004, branded as a stern taskmaster some players had difficulty playing for. It had gotten Coughlin fired by the Jaguars.
Coughlin resurfaced with the Giants and team brass asked the former Boston College coach to ease up a bit after several veterans, including Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan, objected to many of his rules. And his softened approach led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles.
New Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is being brought back to New York in an attempt to break a 47year title drought.
According to an NBA executive who has spoken to the Knicks, the hiring of Thibodeau is being compared with Coughlin joining the Giants. At his introductory press conference, the then 57-year-old was likened to “a commanding officer fixing to take an enemy hill.”
The comparisons between Thibodeau’s arrival and Coughlin’s extends to their mentors. Coughlin’s mentor was celebrated former Giants coach Bill Parcells. Thibodeau’s mentor is celebrated former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, who hired him to his staff in 1996.
Like Coughlin was then, Thibodeau, at age 62, is coming off an embarrassing firing. Thibodeau was canned by the lowly Timberwolves despite breaking their 13year playoff drought with a 47-35 record in 2017-18.
Thibodeau’s Zoom press conference is expected midweek once a contract is signed.
“I don’t think Tommy is near Coughlin in being unreasonable,” one NBA source said. “Tom has a sharp sense of humor and laughs easily.”
Still, Thibodeau is on record say- ing he has to change up and adapt. As The Post has reported, Thibodeau is even willing to allow president Leon
Rose and vice president William Wesley to choose at least two of his assistant coaches.
Former interim head coach Mike Miller, whose contract has another year on it, and Mike Woodson, once repped by Wesley when he coached the Knicks, are solid bets to be part of the new staff.
According to an NBA source, the only hesitation with Thibodeau was whether his communication skills that have worked in the past still work with millennial players. Sources in Minnesota contend Thibodeau did not connect well enough with some of the Wolves’ younger stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
That is why Knicks brass wants to make sure Thibodeau’s staff has enough variety.
“Thibs and his guys can flat-out teach and coach,” the NBA source said. “But do they have the communication skills to say the same thing a different way? It’s a subtlety but an important one. Are all of Thibs’ guys saying the same thing the same way? Management has been sensitive to at least the perception.”
Thibodeau can always reach a certain type of player. For instance, Taj Gibson, who could play on three different Thibodeau clubs if he re-signs with the Knicks. And the same for D.J. Augustin, who had a revival in his one season with the Bulls.
“If you don’t want to play for a coach that’s going to really coach you and be hard on you, you don’t want to be great, so I loved playing for Thibs,” Augustin told reporters Saturday.
Coughlin’s approach changed — and he’s a Hall of Fame candidate. Rose believes Thibodeau can have as bright a future.