By WFAN.com
David Fizdale is reportedly set to become the 29th head coach in Knicks history.
Here are five things about the man who'll be strolling the sidelines at Madison Square Garden:
1. He's a California guy.
Fizdale, 43, grew up in South Central Los Angeles and attended the University of San Diego, where he majored in communications.
2. He paid his dues.
After spending six years as an assistant in the college ranks, Fizdale broke into the NBA with the Golden State Warriors in 2003. He spent 13 seasons as an NBA assistant before he was hired for his first head-coaching job. He helped the LeBron James-led Miami Heat win NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.
3. He had a short run in Memphis.
Fizdale spent a little more than one season as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies went 43-39 in 2016-17 and reached the playoffs, when they lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies fired Fizdale after the team started 7-12 this past season.
4. His tenure with the Grizzlies ended ugly.
In Memphis, Fizdale clashed with star center Marc Gasol, which the team's brass admitted "played a factor" in his firing. "Fiz and Gasol couldn't stand each other," a high-ranking NBA source told ESPN. "They just never did. They had a huge falling out last year and never recovered. They barely spoke to one another. And Fizdale got to a point where he literally didn't give a damn."
5. He's married with a son.
Fizdale married his longtime girlfriend, Natasha Sen, in 2014. Among the guests who attended their wedding in San Diego was former Heat power forward Juwan Howard, whom Fizdale beat out for the Knicks' job. Fizdale has one child -- a son named Kyle.
