Ex-NBA Coach of the Year wants to join 1 of the worst franchises - report
New York has been a graveyard for the careers of once successful or promising young coaches for the past 20 years.
Since Jeff Van Gundy left in 2001, every Knicks coach except for one — Mike Woodson, from 2012 to 2014 — has had a losing record.
The list of coaches who have failed in New York is long.
Former NBA Coach of the Year Don Chaney went 72-112 from 2002 to 2004; the second-winningest coach in NBA history and Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens went 40-41 in 2004-2005; Hall of Famer Larry Brown went 23-59 in 2006; former great Isiah Thomas went 56-108 in 2007-2008; two-time NBA Coach of the Year and current Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni went 121-167 from 2009 to 2012; and most recently, Jeff Hornacek was 60-104 in two years until he was fired earlier this month.
Despite all the failure, New York remains a lure for coaches who buy the old adage “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”
But history shows that coaches can make it anywhere but there.
The next promising coach and former NBA Coach of the Year interested in the Big Apple is Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, according to the New York Post.
Budenholzer, who learned his craft as an assistant to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for 18 years, was the 2015 Coach of the Year for the Hawks, who went 60-22 that year and lost to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. In his four years in Atlanta, the Hawks made the playoffs every year except this year. In that time, the Hawks have gone 213-197.
While he still has two years left on his contract, Budenholzer wants out, according to the Post. The Hawks are looking to tear down and rebuild, and he wants no part of it, the Post reports.
He interviewed for the Phoenix Suns job after the season, according to the Arizona Republic, but has since removed his name from consideration.
If @NYPost_Berman and his story ends up all being true, and the Knicks have the chance to get Mike Budenholzer for just cash considerations, and he WANTS to coach the Knicks. It is a SLAM DUNK no-brainer decision. (though waiting until after the draft to hire him would be GREAT!)
— John Schmeelk (@Schmeelk) April 23, 2018
Now he has his sights set on New York.
“New York’s his top choice,’’ an NBA source told the Post. “If they offered him the job, he’d say yes. He wants to live in New York.’’
Add him to the list of other rumored candidates, including former Warriors coach Mark Jackson, former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, Raptors G League coach Jerry Stackhouse, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt and Woodson.
David Fizdale has the grit to coach in NYC #Knicks
— Billy Platt (@BillyDaKid732) April 14, 2018
Budenholzer made Kyle Korver into an all star and some of you guys are dying for a coach that got fired by Memphis
— Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) April 24, 2018
Good luck to any and all who enter what has been a house of horrors for coaches in recent memory.
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