The New York Knicks will name a new head coach by the end of July.
That’s the hope of the team’s new president, Leon Rose, at least, when speaking with MSG Network’s Mike Breen.
“We’re looking at a lot of different people with a lot of different mindsets, philosophies,” Rose said. “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.”
For that to happen, Rose and the Knicks will have to start doing some serious trimming quickly.
At the moment, they are linked with 11-different names for the job which was carried out admirably by interim head coach Mike Miller after the firing of David Fizdale in December.
Candidates are ranging from established, well-known names like Tom Thibodeau, Mike Brown, and Kenny Atkinson, to wild cards like Spurs assistant Will Hardy and hall-of-fame point guard turned head coach, Jason Kidd.
In 44 games before the Knicks’ season was ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, Miller won as many games (17) as the Knicks did in the entirety of last season.
But as Rose looks to change the culture of a franchise mired in mediocrity and dysfunction for the better part of the last 20 years, he is looking outside the organization to lead the team. On Tuesday, he brought on the well-known and well-traveled consultant, William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley” as executive vice president and senior adviser.
“We want to find the right leader that can develop our young players, as well as hold everyone accountable, and take us from development to becoming a perennial winner,” Rose said. “We also want somebody that we think will be collaborative with the front office and someone that when you’re in that huddle, and you’re looking in that coach’s eyes, every player that’s looking at him knows that person is driving the ship and going to get the job done.”
