Warriors’ Brown joins candidates for Knicks job
Assistant is among a reported 10 coaching candidates for N.Y. job
Six years after Steve Kerr spurned the Knicks’ head coaching job offer to join the Warriors, Kerr’s top assistant, Mike Brown, will interview for New York’s once-again vacant coaching job, this news organization confirmed Monday.
Brown, 50, will be one of 10 confirmed candidates to interview for the opportunity to become the Knicks’ sixth coach since Kerr chose Golden State over New York in 2014. Newsday reported the first round of interviews will be conducted over the phone. The Athletic first reported Brown is set to interview.
The Knicks reportedly have been given permission to interview Hall of Famer Jason Kidd from Oakland. The 47-year-old former Cal and
St. Joseph/Notre
Dame High star coached five seasons with the Nets and Bucks before being hired as a Lakers assistant this season.
The Lakers granted permission for Kidd to interview with the Knicks last week, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Southern California News Group.
Kidd was in the mix this season to become head coach of the Lakers, but ultimately was hired as an assistant under Frank Vogel.
Since Kerr declined New York’s offer, the Knicks’ dysfunctional ways under owner James Dolan have contributed to a seven-year postseason drought and a .308 percent winning percentage, including a 21-45 finish this season. The Knicks will not be among the 22 NBA teams scheduled to participate in the postseason in Orlando, Florida.
With a career record of 347216, Brown is the most experienced head coach among the reported 10 candidates, who also include Kenny Atkinson, Tom Thibodeau and Mike Woodson. Brown coached the Cavaliers and Lakers from 2005-14, leading his team to the playoffs six times. James’ 2007 team, led by LeBron James, won the Eastern Conference title but fell to the Spurs in the Finals.
In his four years with the Warriors, Brown has helped Kerr steer the team to two NBA titles and three NBA Finals appearances. Brown was pressed into interim head coaching duty during the 2016-17 postseason while Kerr dealt with chronic back pain. Brown led the Warriors to a 11-0 record before Kerr returned, and the Warriors wound up with an NBA title and a record-breaking 16-1 postseason record after beating the Cavaliers in five games.
Brown was also under consideration by the Knicks in 2018, the last time they hired a head coach. David Fizdale, who was a Warriors assistant in 2003-04, got the Knicks job then but was fired in December after New York went 4-18.
Mike Miller, who took over for Fizdale and led New York to a 1727 record, is also a candidate.