The San Antonio Spurs assistant is reportedly eyeing the Knicks’ head coach spot.
Becky Hammon has expressed interest in the New York Knicks vacant head coach position, per CNBC’s Jabari Young.
Knicks head coach David Fizdale was fired in just his second year with the franchise Friday afternoon following an eight-game losing skid. Fizdale, who had previously served as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, finished with a 21-83 record in New York.
Hammon became San Antonio’s top assistant in June of 2018, and has been with the Spurs since 2014 when she became the first female assistant coach in NBA history. She has been a top coaching candidate in recent years and interviewed with the Milwaukee Bucks following the ouster of Jason Kidd. A Hammon hiring would be yet another milestone set by the former New York Liberty guard as she would become the first female head coach in the league’s history.
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While Knicks assistant Mike Miller has been elevated as the team’s interim head coach, New York’s front office will likely explore its long-term options in the coming months—according to Young’s report, Hammon would consider the position if offered a long-term deal.
A four or five-year deal would provide enough job security to allow Hammon the time to develop New York’s roster, although the Knicks have not hesitated to cut coaches’ deals short in the past. Miller will be the team’s sixth head coach since the Knicks last made the playoffs in 2013. One Carmelo Anthony trade, a Kristaps Porzingis departure and 347 losses later, the Knicks are in dire need of somebody to rite the franchise.
The six-time WNBA All-Star would bring years of experience as one of basketball’s best point guards, as well as the pedigree of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree, which includes the likes of Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams and Brett Brown. No NBA head coach, however, will be able to succeed in New York without the proper buy in from the entire organization. Hammon would likely take care to ensure that the Knicks are prepare to make a serious commitment before inking a deal.
Keeping James Dolan at the helm as the team’s owner will no doubt make that difficult, but a potential change in the front office and at head coach could be a step in the right direction for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.
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