The New York Knicks are suddenly in the market for a head coach after Monday’s startling firing of Derek Fisher. Fortunately, the right man for the job may have some serious interest.
According to a report by Ian O’Connor of ESPN on Monday, the Knicks are the job former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has “always wanted” and that he “would crawl to Madison Square Garden.”
Source close to Tom Thibodeau: "The #Knicks are the job he's always wanted. He would crawl to Madison Square Garden."
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) February 8, 2016
Thibodeau, 58, has been out of the league since his firing by the Bulls last May. Since then, his name has popped up in coaching rumors everywhere from Cleveland to Brooklyn.
Widely seen as the best head coach currently available on the market, Thibodeau was actually employed by the Knicks from 1996 to 2004, serving as an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy. He also pushed hard to land Knicks star Carmelo Anthony back in his Chicago days.
It is unclear if the Knicks want to move in the direction of an old-school, heavily defensive-oriented disciplinarian like Thibodeau, especially one with a history of clashing with management. But at 23-31 on the season currently, the team is in desperate need of some semblance of an identity. The gritty, hard-nosed culture of defense and balls-to-the-wall competitiveness that Thibs exudes could be just that identity.
