Jeff Hornacek has done himself no favors with another subpar season as head coach of the New York Knicks, and rumors about who might replace him if he is fired are already heating up.
Al Iannazzone of Newsday reported on Tuesday that though Hornacek has said he fully expects to be back next season, management has made no public indications about his job security. Instead, they say that they will evaluate everything after the season. Iannazzone also shares a list of names who have been linked to the Knicks coaching job — a list that includes Mark Jackson, Jason Kidd, David Fizdale, Jerry Stackhouse, Doc Rivers, and Chauncey Billups.
Of those names, Fizdale and Rivers (who is obviously still employed by the LA Clippers) are probably the only ones who are both experienced and fairly well-respected. It’s also worth noting that four of those candidates (Rivers, Jackson, Kidd, and Billups) are former Knicks players.
Of course, the Knicks may ultimately choose to give Hornacek some leeway considering the young, mismatched roster he is working with, on top of the loss of franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis to a torn ACL. But a 24-40 record this year (including 12 losses in their last 13 games) is tough to swallow no matter what, and the Knicks aren’t exactly known for having low turnover.
