Over the last few years, no coach has caused more division within a fan base than Tom Thibodeau. To his supporters, he was a culture-setter who noticeably raised the floor of the Knicks and got them to consistently be prepared, play hard, and hold each other accountable. But, to his critics, he was a stubborn coach who was at times too slow to adjust and drove fans mad over his rotations, isolation-heavy offense, and lack of experimentation. All of that though, both the good and the bad, comes to an end as Sham Charania of ESPN announced on Tuesday afternoon that the Knicks had fired the head coach.
BREAKING: The New York Knicks are relieving Tom Thibodeau of his duties as head coach, sources tell ESPN. Thibodeau led the Knicks to their first East Finals in 25 years, made playoffs in 4 of 5 years and led Knicks to consecutive 50+ win seasons for first time since the 1990s. pic.twitter.com/B7w8KhoEcF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 3, 2025
While the jury is still out on whether this was the right decision or not, it comes as a surprise, even to those who called for his firing. Thibodeau is a long-time friend of Leon Rose, who once represented the coach, and is also incredibly close with star point guard, Jalen Brunson, whose father worked under Thibodeau when Brunson was little.
Regardless of his ups and downs though, what cannot be denied is the lasting impact he made on the franchise, and in turn, the city. Thibodeau took over in 2020 and the Knicks have not looked back since. In just his first season, Thibodeau won Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after leading the Knicks to their first playoffs since 2013. And just two years later, he helped New York advance to the second round for the first time in a decade. During his five-year tenure as the Knicks head coach, Thibodeau went 226-174 (.565) and turned the Knicks into one of the better teams in the league over that period. And he was able to do it with different rosters and in different ways.
In 2021, the “we here” Knicks team relied heavily on Julius Randle for offensive production, while the defense and rebounding paved the way for their second-half surge. In 2023, New York’s offense slowly shifted towards a more Brunson-centric one. In 2024, the Knicks’ defense and offense fired on all cylinders when healthy with the addition of OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, and the improved play of Isaiah Hartenstein. And in 2025, he led the Knicks to their first conference finals in 25 years with just three starters returning.
After a bittersweet postseason run that saw them beat the Celtics in surprising fashion, but also succumb to the Pacers in disappointing fashion, it was reported that Thibodeau had full support from both Rose and Brunson. But apparently, the front office felt the need for a change of voice to capitalize on their current window. It also couldn’t have helped that Thibodeau could never fully take advantage of the Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns two-man game, unlock Towns as a shooter (he took fewer threes than Julius Randle during the playoffs), experiment with two-big lineups earlier, or play Deuce McBride more despite the data suggesting he should
As is the case with every coaching change, there is a risk. While a new coach may be able to raise the ceiling of this team and help take this roster to the next level, there is no guarantee that the next coach will be able to instill the same amount of discipline or accountability.
While there have been no official reports, the current assumption is that former assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and UCONN head coach Dan Hurley are among those under consideration to replace Thibodeau.