The New York Knicks are casting a wide net to start their coaching search. The Knicks have contacted several NBA teams to ask about the potential availability of their head coaches. They’ve had no success thus far.

The organization began its coaching search by casting a wide net. That net included Arkansas head coach John Calipari.

Sources familiar with the situation tell ClutchPoints that a key member of the Knicks front office spoke with Calipari about the team’s head coaching vacancy.

The discussions with Calipari were exploratory in nature. And those discussions concluded that there was nothing to pursue further.

Calipari is one of several college coaches that New York has had some level of interest in. The team continuing to build out their list of candidates will result in more names surfacing.

With regard to the longtime Kentucky coach Calipari, the Knicks’ front office leveraged their relationship with him to inquire about their coaching gig. That said, the expectation is that the two parties will not reach a deal of any kind. Calipari has said as much himself.

The Knicks aren’t kidding about their head coaching search

May 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after game six of the eastern conference finals against the Indiana Pacers for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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The Knicks’ interest in Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is as public as it gets. The Mavs denied their request to interview Kidd for their coaching job.

That doesn’t mean New York’s pursuit of Kidd is over, though. The team is still interested in him as their potential next coach. And according to reports that ClutchPoints can confirm, they haven’t given up on that possibility yet.

The Knicks’ continued desire to employ Kidd as their head coach next season, despite Dallas’ denial of their request, was first reported by Newsday’s Steve Popper.

The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III later corroborated those reports.

The quantity of reports centered around the Knicks striking out on requests to interview other head coaches has made headlines of its own. The fact of the matter is that this practice is commonplace this practice is commonplace in the NBA.

If this Knicks front office is remembered for one thing besides turning the franchise around, it will be their willingness to do their ‘due diligence.’