The New York Knicks are looking for a new head coach after letting go of Tom Thibodeau. They have recently turned toward a familiar and one of the most famous names Mike Brown, who won the Coach of the Year award twice.
Because the team is under pressure to win big, they’re taking this search very seriously. NBA insider Marc Stein says the Knicks’ interest in Brown has intensified, and this could be very important for the franchise’s future direction.
Knicks Reportedly Eye Mike Brown in Ongoing Head Coach Search
Thibodeau led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals and back-to-back 50-win seasons. Despite these successes, Knicks president Leon Rose pushed for a change to reach the championship level. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Knicks believed a new voice was needed to take the team to the next step. As a result, the organization officially fired Thibodeau, even though he guided them to their deepest playoff run in 25 years.
Recent reports suggest that Brown is the leading candidate to take over as the Knicks’ next head coach. He led the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance in 17 years during the 2023 season. For that achievement, he earned the NBA Coach of the Year award. It was Brown’s second time winning the award, as he also won it back in 2009 while coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He led the Cavaliers to the Finals for the first time in their franchise history in 2007, when LeBron James was just 22 years old. However, he never won an NBA championship as a head coach. The four titles to his name all came as an assistant coach.
The Knicks’ interest in hiring Mike Brown as their new coach has indeed intensified, league sources say.
One scenario that has emerged: New York installing James Borrego as top assistant if Brown is the ultimate choice.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/WoNqIgMcqE
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2025
Recently, NBA insider Marc Stein reported, “The Knicks’ interest in hiring Mike Brown as their new coach has indeed intensified, league sources say. One scenario that has emerged: New York installing James Borrego as top assistant if [Brown] is the ultimate choice.”
The Knicks initially explored sitting head coaches like Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Chris Finch, but were denied permission to speak with them. That shifted their focus to experienced former head coaches like Brown and Taylor Jenkins, as well as assistants James Borrego and Micah Nori.
Borrego’s name is especially interesting. He is currently working as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans and is known for his offensive creativity. If Brown is hired and Borrego joins as his lead assistant, the Knicks could finally get the offensive edge they lacked under Thibodeau’s defense-first system.
