The New York Knicks are on their quest to find a new head coach ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Despite the Knicks playing at the elite level and reaching the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, Top Brass decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau.
To be honest, the Knicks player’s lack of trust in Thibodeau played a greater role than his ownership decision. Obviously, the next coach the Knicks will be hired to be a player’s favorite.
So far, many names have been touted as the best choice to replace Coach Thibodeau with the Knicks. With that in mind, NBA Analytics Network We recommend that the six most likely candidates become the Knicks’ new head coach.
Current team: Dallas Mavericks
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 9 years
Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks has become a popular name as the Knicks’ potential new head coach. Kidd had previously interviewed him for his job in 2020 before Tibodeau’s employment.
Coaching teams from teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and MAVS are perfect for taking over teams of the size of the Knicks.
Current team: Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 0 years
Johnny Bryant is currently on the staff of Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson. The 2024-25 NBA season was Bryant’s 11th year as an assistant coach.
While landing the Knicks head coaching job as a rookie, Bryant has past connections with his team. After all, he served as the team’s associate head coach under Thibodeau from 2020 to 2024.
Current team: Dismissed by the Denver Nuggets in 2025
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 12 years
Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was immediately linked to the Knicks after Thibodeau’s shooting. After all, Malone’s caliber coaches are available in the market as lucky the Knicks can get.
Malone led the Nuggets to the NBA Championship in 2023 and has experience coaching people like Nikola Jokic, so he handled the Knicks superstar ego perfectly.
Current team: Retirement
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 0 years
Jay Wright may not have any experience as head coaching in the NBA under his belt, but he had a 21-year stint with Villanova’s basketball program.
The biggest reason Wright is linked to the Knicks is because he coached Jalen Branson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges during his college career. He was also able to bring championship pedigrees to the organization as he was a double NCAA tournament winner.
Current team: Los Angeles Clippers
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 11 years
The Knicks are linked to several new names, but the organization may just reclaim Jeff Vangundy. After all, Van Gundy was the team’s head coach for seven years.
He also led them to their final Eastern Conference Finals Championship in 1999. Following almost two years as a broadcaster, Vanguardy has returned as assistant coach for the LA Clippers this season.
Current team: Miami Heat
NBA Head Coaching Experience: 0 years
Another name to consider for the Knicks’ head coaching job is Crisk Inn, the Miami Heat’s associate head coach.
Quinn has remained with Eric Sperstra for over a decade, but he is now emerging as the top name to become the rookie head coach. After all, he was one of the finalists in the Phoenix Suns work before heading to another rookie head coach, Jordan Otto.