Former Sacramento Kings coach emerges as candidate for New York Knicks job
Two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown has maintained a low profile since the Sacramento Kings fired him in December.
That could soon change.
Brown is emerging as a head coaching candidate for the New York Knicks, who fired Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reports the Knicks are increasingly focused on Brown and former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jekins. That news comes after the Knicks were denied permission to speak to several current head coaches, including Billy Donovan, Chris Finch, Jason Kidd, Quin Snyder and Ime Udoka.
Brown, 55, reportedly interviewed for the Knicks job in 2020. The Knicks hired Thibodeau, but Brown, who was then serving as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant with the Golden State Warriors, “left a very strong impression,” according to The Athletic.
Two years later, the Kings hired Brown to change the fortunes of a long-suffering franchise. In his first season in Sacramento, Brown became the first unanimous winner of the Coach of the Year award after leading the Kings to 48 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
The Kings ended the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons, but they were unable to build on that success. The 2023-24 season ended with a play-in loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Brown was fired after going 13-18 to start the 2024-25 season.
Brown has a 454-304 (.599) record with seven playoff appearances over 11 seasons as a head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Kings. He has also served as an assistant with the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and Warriors, winning a total of four championships with the Spurs and Warriors.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 8:17 AM.
