Its official: Tom Thibodeau is the new head coach of the New York Knicks.
“Tom Thibodeau is a proven winner who gets the most of the players and teams that he has coached. He will bring leadership, accountability and a hard-working mentality to our organization. We are excited to bring him back to New York.”
.@nyknicks Name Tom Thibodeau Head Coach pic.twitter.com/7I4GIEmMzk
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) July 30, 2020
Thibodeau — among his many stops in two decades as an assistant — was a key member of his mentor Jeff Van Gundy's staff during the last extended run of Knicks success, from 1996-2003.
The hire marks the first major move for the organization's revamped front office, now run by president Leon Rose, whose former agency, CAA, represented Thibodeau.
The 62-year old boasts an impressive 352-246 record as head coach in two stints with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2011, he led the Bulls to 62 wins and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals, earning him Coach of the Year honors. With Minnesota from 2016-2019—while serving as president, too—Thibodeau led the team to its first postseason appearance in 14 years in 2018, only for the locker room to unravel in 2019.
Thibodeau, among his many stops in two decades as an assistant, was a key member of his mentor Jeff Van Gundy's staff during the last extended run of Knicks success, from 1996-2003.
“I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to this historic franchise…and work alongside a talented front office that I have great trust in and respect for. I know what New York is like when the Knicks are successful and there is nothing comparable.”
Thibodeau will be the struggling franchise's 13th(!) head coach in 17 seasons. The Knicks, who last made the postseason in 2013, hope Thibodeau's devotion to disciple, defense, and details can spearhead the development of young players like R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, and Kevin Knox and push the team back to respectability. We'll see.
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