The New York Knicks are planning to meet with former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins next week for their head coaching job, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
The meetings will mark the first stage of formal interviews for the Knicks job, and more could come. Brown interviewed for the Knicks job in 2020 and made a strong impression before New York hired Tom Thibodeau.
Several teams earlier this week rebuffed the Knicks in their head coaching search, including the Dallas Mavericks, who rejected the Knicks’ request to speak with Jason Kidd on Wednesday, sources told ESPN.
Kidd joined the Houston Rockets‘ Ime Udoka and the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Chris Finch as coaches whose teams denied permission to interview with New York, sources confirmed. SNY first reported the Rockets’ denial of the Knicks’ request, and podcast host Mike Francesa first reported the Wolves giving their refusal.
In addition, the Knicks asked to speak with Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder but were firmly denied, sources told ESPN. Snyder completed his third season in Atlanta.
The Knicks are searching for a new head coach after firing Thibodeau last week in a surprising move after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
Brown was the unanimous choice for NBA Coach of the Year in his first season with the Kings in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons. Brown had a 107-88 record in two-plus seasons in Sacramento with a winning record in both of his full seasons before being fired less than halfway through his third season.
Brown previously had two stints as coach in Cleveland and spent one-plus season as Lakers coach. He has a 455-304 career record and has made the playoffs in seven of his nine full seasons. He won Coach of the Year twice, also getting the award in Cleveland in 2008-09.
Jenkins, who was fired in March, had served as Grizzlies coach since 2019-20 — the same season Ja Morant was named Rookie of the Year. The Grizzlies made three postseason appearances with Jenkins, with one playoff series win.