Former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy is “extremely happy” the franchise is hiring Tom Thibodeau.
Van Gundy and Thibodeau have a very close relationship, as Van Gundy originally hired Thibodeau to his Knicks staff all the way back in 1996.
“I’m extremely happy for Tom and equally happy for the Knicks as they hired an elite coach who will give everything he has to turn the Knicks around,” Jeff Van Gundy said in an email to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks haven't had a winning record or made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season. New York fans are hoping Thibodeau can turn the franchise around with his attention to detail.
With the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, Thibodeau went 352-255 in the regular season. He was the 2011 Coach of the Year with the Bulls and helped former Knicks point guard Derrick Rose become the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 years old.
One NBA coach who spoke to Berman believes the Knicks made the right decision by hiring Thibodeau.
“His attention to detail is as good as it gets,’’ said one NBA coach about Tom Thibodeau, who declined to be identified because the Knicks have not yet officially announced the hiring. “No rock is left unturned. Off the court he has a better sense of humor than anyone expects and a good moral compass.’’
The roster in New York is pretty flawed at the moment. Thibodeau and his staff have a lot of work to do to turn the Knicks into a winner again, but history has shown that Thibs has what it takes to accomplish that goal.
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