As the New York Knicks prepare to introduce new head coach Mike Brown to the Knicks’ faithful, details about his coaching staff are beginning to emerge.
Knicks’ Mike Brown to find new associate head coach
According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Brown has already begun planning some changes to the staff. The biggest of which will impact Rick Brunson, the father of Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson.
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“Mike Brown is expected to hire a new associate head coach, The Post has learned, a move that will change the dynamics in the front of the Knicks bench by giving Rick Brunson a lesser role,” Bondy wrote.
Bondy added that the move allows Brown to have more control of the team while also addressing the nepotism narrative being spun around the father of the team’s best player having the biggest assistant role. Rick is reportedly on board with Brown’s plans.
Rick Brunson will have a lesser role on the staff
Rick has been on the Knicks’ coaching staff since 2022, the same year that Jalen signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York. After Tom Thibodeau was let go, there was speculation that Rick could be let go upon a new coach’s hiring.
NBA: Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks
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However, it seems as though Brown wants to retain Rick, just in a lesser role. The team has embraced having him on the staff, especially with Jalen’s immediate rise to becoming a superstar, along with his loyalty to the franchise after taking a record-setting pay cut with his extension.
The coaching staff for the Knicks next season will have a new look. It is still to be determined who the new associate head coach will be, but it may not be long before one is hired.