By WFAN.com
The Knicks have a new leader.
David Fizdale has reportedly agreed to a deal to become the head coach of the New York Knicks.
MORE: 5 Facts About David Fizdale
Fizdale will sign a four-year contract with New York, league sources told ESPN. Multiple other media outlets have confirmed that the Knicks and Fizdale have a deal in place.
After winning 43 games and leading the Grizzlies to a postseason berth in his first season as head coach in Memphis, Fizdale was fired just 19 games into his second campaign amid reports of a rift between him and starting center Marc Gasol.
Fizdale was one of 11 candidates New York considered during its search for the team's next head coach. In addition to Fizdale, team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry spoke to Mark Jackson, David Blatt, Juwan Howard, Jay Larranaga, James Borrego, Mike Budenholzer, Mike Woodson, Mike Brown, Jerry Stackhouse and Kenny Smith.
The 43-year-old Fizdale began his NBA coaching career in 2003 as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. After spending a few seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, he went to the Miami Heat, where he won two championships over eight seasons as an assistant coach.
The Knicks will hope he will have the same effect on their young team, which has missed the playoffs the past five seasons and could struggle again next season while All-Star Kristaps Porzingis recovers from a torn knee ligament.
The former Grizzlies coach was considered one of the hottest coaching candidates this offseason.
Fizdale is New York's 11th head coach since the 2001-02 season, and the fifth since the start of the 2010-11 season.
He replaces Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after going 60-104 in two seasons with the Knicks.
Mills and Perry said at the time they wanted someone who could better communicate with today's NBA players and said they were searching for someone who would mold the team over the next three to five years.
That seemed to be the situation that was developing in Memphis, where he opened up the offense of what had long been a defensive-minded team in his first season. He then endeared himself to the city during a fiery rant after a playoff loss to San Antonio, when he was fined $30,000 for a tirade against the officials during which he said "Take that for data!" and "They're not going to rook us!" — quotes that both ended up on T-shirts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© Copyright 2018 Entercom Communications. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
