Seth Davis spoke out on CBS colleague Jay Wright's interest in Knicks opening
Seth Davis spoke out on CBS colleague Jay Wright's interest in Knicks opening
The Knicks made the surprising move to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday despite leading New York to its first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. And right away, former Villanova head coach Jay Wright's name popped up as a possible replacement.
Well, fans shouldn't expect Wright to join his former players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges in New York — at least according to fellow CBS Sports college basketball analyst Seth Davis.
Shortly after the news of Thibodeau's firing broke, Davis took to Twitter/X to throw water on the Knicks rumors on Wright's behalf. Davis joked that if the Knicks wanted to find a CBS personality who would say yes to the job, it would be ... Davis.
While it would make sense for the Knicks to at least inquire about Wright's interest, it should come as no surprise that Wright would pass on the opportunity. He's 63 years old and seems to be enjoying himself in a low-stress, high-paying gig at CBS.
Plus, would Wright really want to jeopardize his legacy and relationship with Brunson, Hart and Bridges if things went poorly in New York? There's no upside in taking that job considering his age and lack of NBA experience. If anything, Davis knows exactly where Wright stands on the matter.
We should take that as a definitive no.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jalen Brunson incredulous over Tom Thibodeau job security question: ‘Come on'
INDIANAPOLIS — Jalen Brunson did not appreciate the question. But it had to be asked. And Brunson didn't leave any gray area in his response. Is Tom Thibodeau the right coach to take this Knicks team to the next level? Advertisement 'Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he's the right guy,' Brunson said after the Knicks' 125-108 Game 6, season-ending loss to the Pacers on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 'Yes. Come on.' Thibodeau completed his fifth season with the Knicks, which also marked his most successful with the team. He took over a perennial bottom-feeding franchise and reached the postseason four of his five seasons. Tom Thibodeau reacts during the Knicks' 125-108 season-ending Game 6 loss to the Pacers on May 31, 2025. AP There has been year-over-year improvement nearly every season. This year, he got the Knicks within two wins of the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson reacts during the Knicks' Game 6 loss to the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg But he also has never reached the Finals in his long career as a head coach. Advertisement It's led some to wonder whether there might be someone better to elevate the Knicks to that stature. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. For his own part, Thibodeau believes that next step is within reach. 'There's disappointment because you fall short of what your goal is,' Thibodeau said. 'And in the end there's only going to be one team that achieves the goal. So I think the challenge for us is to look at it for what it is. We finished in the top three. But we're falling short of the ultimate goal. 'For us, it's to use that as motivation and determination to work all summer to prepare ourselves to make the final step to keep improving so we can achieve our goal. I think that's the way we have to approach it and that's the way we have to look at it. It's improvement from last year, but it's ultimately not what our ultimate goal is.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jay Wright colleague reveals former Villanova coach's chances of taking Knicks job
Tom Thibodeau was shown the door, setting the potential stage for Jay Wright to again coach his former star players at what has been called 'The Villanova Knicks.' Well, not so fast, according to Wright's CBS colleague Seth Davis. Advertisement 'I have been working with Jay Wright on TV for three years,' Davis wrote in an X post Tuesday. '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.' Davis, a CBS studio analyst since 2003, has been working with Wright since 2022 after the coach retired following 21 seasons at Villanova. Jay Wright sits alongside Jalen Brunson to retire the Villanova legends jersety. NBAE via Getty Images Wright said at the time he lost the 'edge' needed to coach at the highest level. His tenure was highlighted by leading Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges to two national championships in 2016 and 2018, while Josh Hart contributed to that first title. Seth Davis says no chance on a Knicks-Jay Wright union. Getty Images Though he's now an an analyst, Wright has been thrust into the Knicks' coaching picture after the team was eliminated in six games by the Pacers and then booted Thibodeau. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks' stunning firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau Wright responded to a question about his dream job on 'Pardon My Take' in 2020 and said 'the Knicks,' but added 'we're kidding, of course.' Advertisement DraftKings oddsmakers have set Wright as a long shot to be the Knicks' next coach, although The Post's Stefan Bondy has said the sportsbook's leader, ex-Nuggets coach Michael Malone, is not an option. Tom Thibodeau was fired after winning 51 games. Getty Images The Knicks' next coach will inherit a must-win situation following a conference finals appearance and the East possibly more open due to Jayson Tatum potentially missing the 2025-26 season due to a torn Achilles suffered against New York in Game 4 of the second round. The Knicks reached their first conference finals since 2000.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NYC Dems take on Tom Thibodeau's Knicks firing at debate — and one was all for it
Tom Thibodeau's firing was so divisive that it came up during Wednesday's NYC Democratic mayoral debate. Yes, really. The debate hosted by NBC 4 included a question for nine of the candidates competing in June's primary about their reaction to Tuesday's dismissal of Thibodeau after five seasons at the helm. Advertisement From left to right, the candidates all gave thumbs down that they disapproved of the decision — including the front runners in former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — until Michael Blake gave an emphatic thumbs up. Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake speaks in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at NBC Studios on June 4, 2025 in New York City. Nine candidates are taking the stage for the first debate of the primary election for mayor. Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Blake speaks during a Democratic mayoral primary debate, at NBC's 30 Rockefeller Center studios on June 4, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images The candidate then explained that the firing made sense, given that the league is a results-oriented one. 'Our goal is to win the Finals, not to get to the conference finals,' Blake said. It was not clear how Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller, voted during the prompt. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks' stunning firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau Thibodeau's ouster shocked plenty of people throughout the game of basketball, including Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who got the best of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals in six games. Advertisement Carlisle said that when he first heard the news, he thought it was completely fabricated. 'Thibs went in and changed so much. You look at all that and what happened yesterday, I thought [the news] was one of those fake AI things,' Carlisle said. 'No way. No way possible. I know how the players feel about him, too.' Tom Thibodeau yells from the sideline during the first half of the Knicks' season-ending loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 31, 2025. AP Thibodeau's five-year tenure included a 226-174 record during the regular season and four trips to the postseason, but the last two ended at the hands of the Pacers. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Tuesday the consensus around the league was that people were 'stunned,' given Thibodeau's positive track record. Advertisement 'My phone is blowing up right now with executives, everyone around the league [is] just stunned,' Charania said during an appearance on 'SportsCenter.' Now, the Knicks are on the hunt for a new coach, and the team will likely prioritize experience, The Post's Stefan Bondy reported.
