Hornacek fired as Knicks coach after 53-loss season

GREENBURGH, N.Y. » The New York Knicks will open their offseason with a coaching search.

The team fired Jeff Hornacek early Thursday shortly after beating Cleveland on Wednesday night to finish a 29-53 season. The Knicks lost more than 50 games and missed the playoffs both seasons under Hornacek.

Team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry said they didn’t see enough progress on the court and enough communication and accountability off it. They informed Hornacek of their decision on the plane home.

“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 to follow soon after.

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 and Perry declined to identify candidates. 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.

Hornacek was hired in 2016 by Phil Jackson and lasted just one more season after Jackson and the team parted ways last summer. Mills and Perry apparently weren’t pleased with the results, though they knew the Knicks were rebuilding with younger players.