The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Hornacek fired after chaotic, 53-loss season
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The New York Knicks are preaching patience but looking for progress.
Jeff Hornacek got caught in the middle.
The Knicks fired their coach early Thursday, shortly after finishing a 29-53 season. They lost more than 50 games and missed the playoffs both seasons under Hornacek.
“We looked out and we have a plan for what this team should look like over the next three years or so,” Knicks President Steve Mills said. “We just thought this was an opportunity where we thought it was the right time to make a change.”
Mills and general manager Scott Perry said they didn’t see enough improvement on the court and enough communication and accountability off it. They informed Hornacek of their decision at the airport after flying home from a seasonending victory in Cleveland.
“We know the roster is not complete, we understand our roster as well as anybody,” Perry said at a news conference at the team’s training facility. “But again, just in terms of consistency and then a trend I would say toward consistency, Steve and I thought we fell a little bit short in that area.”
Associate head coach Kurt Rambis also was fired.
Hornacek went 60-104 and had a year left on his contract. He became the first coaching change after the NBA regular season finished, with Frank Vogel in Orlando following soon afterward.
The ouster sends the Knicks in search of their 11th coach since Jeff Van Gundy resigned in the 2001-02 season.
Mills said he and Perry were evaluating Hornacek and the Knicks this season on 10-game intervals and saw progress in some areas but not in others. They met with Hornacek a couple of weeks ago to discuss where things stood, so Mills said he didn’t think the decision was a complete shock to the coach.
“Jeff is a positive person and I think he was hopeful that there would be another opportunity, but he’s a pro,” Mills said. “He’s a good man and he took it well.”
Mills continued to say the Knicks are rebuilding, with Perry saying there would be no quick fixes. Still, they apparently expected more this season, which started well but quickly fell apart after injuries to Tim Hardaway Jr. and later the season-ending loss of All-Star Kristaps Porzingis.
Perry said the Knicks were looking for a skilled communicator and effective leader who connects well with today’s players and has a strong defensive mindset. He said there is no timetable to find that person.