The Knicks’ search for a head coach has brought up two names that the team has on its radar.
According to SNY’s NBA Insider Ian Begley, the read on the Knicks‘ coaching situation is that it will continue into next week, and heading into the weekend, former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown are among the names that New York is looking into.
With regard to the Knicks getting denied permission to speak with current head coaches, at least one of those coaches was able to benefit financially from New York’s interest, per Begley.
Begley has previously reported that the Knicks are in no rush with their search and are casting a wide net of candidates.
Jenkins, 40, was fired by Memphis after nearly six seasons with nine games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season despite having a 44-29 record at the time. It was a move that shocked the basketball world as he was the fifth-longest tenured NBA coach at the time of his firing.
Jenkins owns a career coaching record of 250-214 (.539) with his best season coming in 2021-22 when he led the Grizzlies to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the West. That team lost in the conference semifinals, falling to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Brown, 55, is another coach fired mid-season by his most recent team. After making the postseason in his first season (2022-23) with the Kings with a 48-34 record, Brown was relieved of his duties during his third year with the club. He missed the postseason in 2023-24 after a 46-36 record and was off to a 13-18 start this past season before he was fired.
Brown had assisted in the NBA from 1997 to 2005 before he got his first head coaching gig, leading LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In six seasons, he accumulated a 305-187 record to go along with a 42-29 record in the postseason. He also made the NBA Finals in 2007 but fell to the San Antonio Spurs in four games.
After being fired by the Cavaliers, Brown coached the Los Angeles Lakers for parts of two seasons. He led the team to the playoffs with a 41-25 record but was relieved of his duties after just five games into the 2012-13 season.
Brown became an assistant coach for six seasons with Golden State before landing with the Kings.
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