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The New York Knicks are reportedly expected to hire Mike Brown as their next head coach, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday (July 2).
Brown, 55, is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year during his stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009) and Sacramento Kings (2023) and a four-time NBA champion as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich (2003) with the San Antonio Spurs and Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors (2017, 2018, 2022).
"BREAKING: The New York Knicks are expected to land on two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown as the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on his X account. "Knicks president Leon Rose underwent a thorough process since the firing of Tom Thibdoeau a month ago. The Knicks requested permission for five NBA head coaches and were denied, then interviewed several available coaches and went through multi-round stages with candidates."
Brown has a 454-304 career head coaching record with the Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2011-13) and Kings (2023-25), which included exceeding 60 wins twice during LeBron James' first stint in Cleveland during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. The veteran coach is also credited for ending the Kings' 16-year playoff drought during his first season with the franchise in 2023.
The Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau days after their Eastern Conference Finals elimination by the Indiana Pacers last month. Thibodeau led the Knicks to a franchise renaissance during his five-year tenure, having made the playoffs in four out of five seasons after the team suffered a seven-year postseason drought prior to his hiring and the team's first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 1999, as well as consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since the 1990s, in 2025.
Thibodeau went 226-174 during the regular season and 24-23 during the postseason during his Knicks tenure.