The New York Knicks intend to name Mike Brown their new head coach, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.
Brown, a two-time Coach of the Year, was last in charge of the Sacramento Kings. He was dismissed 31 games into the 2024-25 season, his third with the team. In his first campaign with the Kings, he led the franchise to its first playoff berth since 2006, snapping an NBA-record 16-year postseason drought after posting a 48-34 regular-season record.
The 55-year-old has also served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. He took the 2006-07 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals after a second consecutive 50-win season.
Brown won four titles as an assistant. He was on Gregg Popovich's coaching staff for the San Antonio Spurs' 2000 championship and won three as Steve Kerr's top assistant on the Golden State Warriors in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
In 11 seasons leading the bench, Brown boasts a career 454-304 regular-season record and a 50-40 mark in the playoffs.
Brown will succeed Tom Thibodeau, whom the Knicks fired after the team's Eastern Conference finals defeat to the Indiana Pacers. It was the first time New York had reached the conference finals since 2000.
The Knicks reportedly landed on Brown after a lengthy search in which several teams denied their interview requests. New York was apparently rebuffed in its approaches for several employed head coaches, including Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets), Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks) and former Knicks guard Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks). The Knicks reportedly turned their attention to Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins after those rejections.
