new york knicks
Credit: Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK
New reports on the New York Knicks head coach search suggest legendary college basketball coaches Jay Wright and Dan Hurley won’t be serious candidates in the process.
The Knicks stunned the basketball world on Tuesday when they fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons with the franchise. During his tenure in New York, the 67-year-old posted an impressive 226-174 record and guided the team to four postseason appearances. Including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals this spring.
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In the hours since his ouster, there has been a ton of speculation about the various veteran and first-time NBA coaches that could be in the running for the new opening. It should come as no surprise that Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges’ college coach, Jay Wright, is a name that has come up in the early chatter.
I have been working with Jay Wright on TV for three years. Based on every conversation we have had I would say there is a greater chance that I will be the next Knicks coach than him. The difference is if they call me I will say yes.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) June 3, 2025
However, Wright’s CBS Sports co-analyst, Seth Davis, shot down the rumors on Tuesday. “I have been working with Jay Wright on TV for three years. Based on every conversation we have had, I would say there is a greater chance that I will be the next Knicks coach than him,” he wrote in a post on X.
Furthermore, SNY New York Knicks insider Ian Begley also wrote in a new column about likely candidates to replace Thibodeau that he doesn’t see Wright being a realistic candidate for the opening.
But what about two-time national champion Dan Hurley? The UConn coach and New Jersey native was nearly the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach before he had a change of heart at the one-yard line last spring. His local connections and resume could also make him an interesting candidate in the head coach search.
“My early read is that Dan Hurley isn’t at the top of New York’s initial list,” Begley wrote on Wednesday.
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