Knicks head coach search: Mike Brown interview completed

The Knicks have completed their second interview, speaking with veteran head coach candidate Mike Brown this week, as first reported by NBA insider Jake Fischer on Thursday.

Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was the first official candidate interviewed by New York earlier this week.

Brown is one of the most experienced coaches on the market. He has worked on NBA benches since 1997 and held head-coaching roles for 11 of them. Of those seasons, he has only had one 82-game losing season as a head coach.

He most famously led the Cleveland Cavaliers to LeBron James’ first Eastern Conference title in 2007. He also coached the Los Angeles Lakers, but perhaps the highlight of his coaching career so far was steering the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance in 16 years two seasons ago.

The 55-year-old has never won a title as a head coach but spent six years as Steve Kerr’s assistant with the powerhouse Golden State Warriors.

His resume speaks for itself. Brown has coached in some of the largest markets in the NBA with some of the game’s biggest personalities, which gives him a significant leg up on Jenkins, considering Memphis is often an afterthought in terms of media focus.

Brown is known for his ability to maximize offensive production from every corner of the lineup, which is something the Knicks struggled with throughout the 2024-25 season. Despite making its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, the offense designed to run solely through Jalen Brunson stagnated, sometimes handcuffing the secondary-scoring capabilities of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.

He also manages workloads far differently than former head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose heavy reliance on his starting five led to the Knicks’ downfall against the Indiana Pacers. It creates the potential of a fresher roster later in the season and in the playoffs, which could have helped New York against the up-tempo, relentless Pacers in the conference final.