Tom Thibodeau is regarded as the frontrunner for the Knicks head coaching job, but other familiar faces remain potential candidates as well, including Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.
Perhaps even those two could team up together on the Knicks?
Jackson, who was fired as the Golden State Warriors head coach in 2014 despite two straight playoff appearances, has not coached in six years but has expressed his desire to return to the bench.
He was considered by the Knicks during their last coaching search under Steve Mills, and although Mills was replaced by Leon Rose, there are still people within the Knicks organization who hold Jackson in high regard, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
Should the Knicks pursue Jackson as head coach, Begley also added another interesting nugget:
During Jackson’s tenure with the Warriors, which included drafting the championship core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, he wanted to hire Van Gundy as his top assistant.
Jackson has spent the last few years alongside Van Gundy in the broadcast booth and clearly has a strong relationship with his former head coach.
Jackson, a former Knicks player, and Van Gundy, a former Knicks coach, would certainly pique the interest of a Knicks fan base looking to return to the winning ways of the 1990s.
It is not certain if Jackson would want Van Gundy by his side this time around, or if Van Gundy would want such a role, either.
The former Knicks coach is a coveted head coaching candidate as well. In addition to being a potential Knicks coaching target, Van Gundy has also been linked to the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets – another former team he once coached.
Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, Van Gundy’s name has consistently been mentioned as a replacement for Mike D’Antoni in Houston.
Van Gundy coached the Rockets from 2003-07 and has not held an NBA coaching job since (he was the USA head coach in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup tournament and 2019 FIBA World Cup) despite interest and his name circulating as a candidate from time to time.
Along with Thibodeau, Jackson and Van Gundy, other Knicks coaching candidates include Kentucky head coach John Calipari and former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, according to Begley.
It is also not a foregone conclusion that the team would move on from interim head coach Mike Miller, who took the reins after the firing of David Fizdale. Multiple reports suggest Rose was impressed with the job Miller has done since taking over for Fizdale.