Reports surfaced last week that the New York Knicks had reached an agreement with Tom Thibodeau, and the news was made official on Thursday.
In a lengthy press release, the Knicks announced the hiring of Thibodeau as their next head coach. President of basketball operations Leon Rose said Thibodeau is a “proven winner who gets the most out of the players and teams that he has coached.”
.@nyknicks Name Tom Thibodeau Head Coach pic.twitter.com/7I4GIEmMzk
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) July 30, 2020
Thibodeau was believed to be the front-runner for the Knicks job from the start, in part because he has a previous relationship with Rose dating back to Rose’s time as an agent with Creative Artists Agency. Thibodeau also served as an assistant coach for New York from 1996-2004.
Thibodeau last coached with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was fired in January 2019 after making the playoffs just once in three seasons and losing in the first round. The 62-year-old has a record of 352-246 in the regular season and 24-32 in the playoffs as a head coach. His most successful stint came with the Chicago Bulls, when he led the team to the postseason five straight years.
While the Knicks did not disclose the terms of Thibodeau’s contract, it is reportedly a five-year deal.
