Tom Thibodeau fired: Who will become the new New York Knicks head coach? Potential CVs emerge

The New York Knicks fired their head coach, Tom Thibodeau, on Tuesday. Here are his potential replacements

Updated on: Jun 4, 2025, 24:24:49 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The New York Knicks fired their head coach, Tom Thibodeau, on Tuesday, sources told ESPN. This comes after the Knicks were beaten in the Eastern Finals by the Indiana Pacers. Thibodeau led the franchise to four playoff appearances in 5 years and led New York to consecutive 50+ win seasons for the first time since the 1990s.

The New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau (Getty Images via AFP)

Hired in July 2020, Thibodeau led the Knicks to a 51-31 record in 2024–25, a fourth seed in the East, and their first Conference Finals appearance since 2000.

Potential Replacements

No official replacement has been named, but speculation centers on several candidates, with Michael Malone and Chris Quinn emerging as frontrunners, alongside others like Dan Hurley, Jay Wright, and Taylor Jenkins. Here’s a breakdown:

Michael Malone

Fired by the Denver Nuggets on April 8, 2025, despite winning the 2023 NBA Championship, Malone is a Queens native with Knicks ties, having served as an assistant coach in 2001. His 10-year Nuggets tenure included a 472-315 record and playoff success with Nikola Jokic.

Chris Quinn

Associate head coach of the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra, Quinn has been considered for head coaching roles with the Cavaliers, Bucks, and Jazz. A former NBA player, he’s praised for player development and learning from Spoelstra’s culture.

Dan Hurley

UConn’s head coach, Hurley led the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024. His high-energy style and player development skills have made him an NBA target.

Jay Wright

Former Villanova coach with two NCAA titles (2016, 2018), Wright has been linked to NBA jobs since retiring in 2022.

Taylor Jenkins

Fired by the Memphis Grizzlies in March 2025 despite a 250-win record and three playoff appearances, Jenkins is a young, offensive-minded coach.

Internal Option

Daisuke Yoshimoto: Knicks assistant coach since 2011, Yoshimoto led the team to the Summer League finals, showing chemistry with young players.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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