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New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Knicks head coach search: Is Jason Kidd Plan A? What we know
About a week has passed since the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau — the franchise's winningest coach this century – on the heels of New York making the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. So far, everything about the franchise's search for a new coach seems … odd. The Knicks have interest in Jason Kidd, per league sources. The problem? Kidd, the coach of the Dallas Mavericks, has two years left on his contract. The Knicks, while they might be preparing to ask for permission to interview Kidd for their vacancy, have not yet made a formal request. There has yet to be any contact as of Monday morning, per a Mavericks team source. And yet, when that time comes, per multiple league sources, the expectation is that the Mavericks will deny that request. Advertisement This brings us to this question: Did the Knicks fire Thibodeau without a no-hiccups successor in place? A week into the search, it certainly feels that way. New York is expected to do an exhaustive search that includes coaches at every level, per league sources. However, the expectation for this franchise is to win a championship. Whoever is hired has to carry the weight of that. The Knicks decided to move on from Thibodeau — a decision that The Athletic reported after the Knicks' season ended was in the hands of owner James Dolan — during a coaching cycle that isn't overflowing with heavily experienced, successful head coaches. Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, a champion, is the biggest name on the market with championship experience. Malone, like Thibodeau, is a very good coach, but he shares many tendencies and traits with Thibodeau. Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown is an experienced name out there, as well. Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is, too. Ex-Los Angeles Lakers Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego could also be of interest. They are all good coaches and have had various degrees of success, though only Malone has won a championship as a head coach among that group. Would any of those names be clear-cut upgrades over Thibodeau? Not on paper, at least. That the Knicks fired Thibodeau and are currently juggling the idea of trying to pry away currently employed head coaches suggests that Thibodeau's firing might have been made without a sure-fire successor in mind. With that said, maybe the Knicks' decision-makers really believe Kidd is attainable. The Mavericks head coach has connections to several members of the Knicks organization, including star guard Jalen Brunson and Knicks vice president of sports medicine Casey Smith. Furthermore, Kidd didn't always enjoy being Dallas' spokesperson in the aftermath of the franchise trading Luka Dončić, per league sources. In a Feb. 10 game against the Kings, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford got hurt. In the middle of the injury crisis, multiple fans were also ejected for protesting the Dončić trade. Kidd didn't address the media afterward. Advertisement 'I just needed a break,' Kidd explained Feb. 12 — two days later. In New York, Kidd would continue to be the spokesperson. President Leon Rose hasn't fielded questions from independent media in several years. If Dallas were to deny the Knicks' request, and Kidd would prefer to coach elsewhere, could he put up enough of a stink behind the scenes to make the organization's decision-makers change their mind? It feels like the Knicks are banking on that. Even then, the Mavericks almost certainly would want draft compensation to facilitate such a rare move. New York, which depleted most of its draft capital over the last calendar year, would have to consider that as it moved forward in the process. (Kidd was previously involved in a coaching trade. In 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired his coaching rights from the Brooklyn Nets for two second-round picks.) Lastly, maybe there is an expectation that owners get involved to work something out. They've proved they can work together in other settings. Dolan's Sphere in Las Vegas is on property owned by Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson. A lot of moving parts would have to work in the Knicks' favor in order to make Jason Kidd their next head coach. There's nothing wrong with targeting an employed head coach for their vacant position. Due diligence is good. It just seems a little odd that it appears to be Plan A. The Knicks have backed themselves into a corner between the firing of Thibodeau and this upcoming hire. They've made it clear that what the winningest coach in recent franchise history did wasn't good enough to reach their ultimate goal of a championship. It'll be tough for New York's suits to win the headlines and backpages with the next head coach, unless they have something up their sleeves, which is totally possible. Until the big reveal, though, the Knicks appear to be in limbo. No available coach is an obvious upgrade or change of pace from Thibodeau. Getting a proven coach from another team seems far-fetched. Hiring an inexperienced or first-year head coach, while it might end up being the right decision a year from now, is a difficult sell to fans who now have heightened expectations after several successful seasons and based on the franchise's own language following the firing of Thibodeau. New York just has to get this right. Maybe it will. Right now, though, this all feels lackluster. Christian Clark and Fred Katz contributed reporting.
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Suns coaching search down to 2 candidates, Cavs assistants Bryant and Ott, AP source says
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have whittled their coaching search down to two candidates, with Cleveland Cavaliers assistants Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott making the cut, a person familiar with the search confirmed on Monday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the news has not been officially announced by the team. ESPN first reported that Bryant and Ott were the two finalists. The Suns are looking for their fourth coach in four seasons after firing Mike Budenholzer following a miserable 36-46 season that ended without a trip to the playoffs. Bryant and Ott are expected to meet with Suns management later this week. The 39-year-old Bryant has been in the NBA for more than a decade as an assistant with the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks before joining the Cavaliers as associate head coach in 2024. He played in college at Utah. The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers. He also worked as a video coordinator under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, which is where Suns owner Mat Ishbia played as a walk-on from 1999 to 2003. ___ AP NBA:
Reuters
02-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Report: Suns narrow coaching search to 2 Cavs assistants
June 2 - The Phoenix Suns have whittled their list of potential head coaches to two, both currently on the staff of the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN reported Monday. The finalists, per ESPN, are Cleveland associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and assistant Jordan Ott. Both are set to meet with a Phoenix contingent led by owner Mat Ishbia this week. The Suns are looking for a replacement for Mike Budenholzer, who was fired April 14 after his first season and a 36-46 record. The new coach will be the fourth in four seasons. NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson and his staff led the Cavaliers to 64 wins and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. Bryant, 39, was a guard in college at Utah and played professionally overseas before joining the Utah Jazz staff in 2012, where he remained until 2020. He was the associate head coach of the New York Knicks before joining the Cavaliers. Ott began his career as a video coordinator at Michigan State in 2008 before filling that same role under Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks. He joined the Nets as an assistant coach in 2016 and moved on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022 before Atkinson hired him in Cleveland. --Field Level Media
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What we're hearing about the Blackhawks coaching search, changes, prospects and more
You know an NHL team has done a good job of keeping a coaching search close to the vest when even the insiders are admitting they don't know what's going on with the Chicago Blackhawks. While there had been plenty of information about other coaching vacancies in recent weeks, not much had trickled out of the Blackhawks' camp — until late this week. Advertisement A league source said Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson recently met with Jeff Blashill in Chicago. Blashill isn't believed to be the Blackhawks' only candidate, but outside of interim coach Anders Sörensen, Blashill is the only known candidate at this point. Rick Tocchet, who was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Adam Foote, who was hired by the Vancouver Canucks, were not candidates for the Blackhawks job. Blashill, 51, was the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022, accumulating a 204-261-72 regular-season record and going 1-4 in his one playoff appearance. The Red Wings went through a transition during Blashill's tenure, going from a veteran team with playoff expectations to a rebuilding team that began compiling lottery picks. From Blashill's first season with the Red Wings to his second, the team lost 11 of its top 12 scorers. Detroit didn't come near reaching the playoffs again in Blashill's last six seasons. After being let go by the Red Wings following the 2021-22 season, Blashill jumped on Jon Cooper's staff with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has been there the past three seasons. So, what should you make of this? We asked The Athletic's head coach expert, Shayna Goldman. 'It's really hard to say because the roster he had to work with in Detroit was pretty brutal,' Goldman said. 'He was in Detroit for a long time and has so little to show for it, so it's really tough. But there are a lot of head coaches who had crappy first gos and really improved in their second stint. Scott Arniel and Mike Sullivan both come to mind. Hopefully he learned something from Cooper. He did a pretty good job with the penalty kill there.' That time with Cooper might pay off, as well as some time between head coaching opportunities. 'I think having that space between HC gigs can give someone a lot of perspective, especially if they're watching what does work in this league, versus getting a new job five seconds after getting fired,' Goldman said. 'That could be the key here — how much has he learned in a different role on what it takes to successfully coach in this league?' Advertisement If you want to understand some of Blashill's coaching philosophies, this story by The Athletic's Max Bultman is a good place to start. Blashill emphasizes two-way play often. Bultman has also written about Blashill's background. Blashill checks a few boxes for the Blackhawks. He has experience coaching younger players as he coached in the USHL, NCAA and AHL before jumping to the NHL. The Red Wings were a young team through most of his tenure. The question has to be whether Blashill can develop a young core into something significant under him. Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has gotten his wish to not be deposed in the civil case of John Doe v. the Chicago Blackhawks. John Doe's lawyers sought to compel Bowman to testify about what he knew as Blackhawks general manager in 2010 about sexual assault allegations made by a former player against the team's former video coach Brad Alrich. Bowman filed a motion to quash the subpoena in March, and the judge ruled in his favor because the subpoena was deemed to be improperly served. Bowman may still have to talk, though. John Doe's attorneys, Antonio Romanucci and Jason Friedl, provided a statement about that on Friday. 'Stan Bowman is indeed still subject to a trial subpoena, and we remain committed to securing justice for our client and holding accountable those who contributed to an environment of abuse through their actions or inactions,' the statement said. If served with another subpoena, Bowman could be required to appear in court during a trial. According to the Circuit Court of Cook County's website, hearings are scheduled for Aug. 11 and Oct. 27. The Blackhawks and long-time strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman recently parted ways. Goodman had been one of the Blackhawks' longest-tenured employees. He had been with the Blackhawks since 2008. Advertisement Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel is not expected to miss a significant amount of time after suffering an injury Tuesday while playing for Germany at the World Championship in Denmark. Reichel is forced to sit out the remainder of the tournament and is expected need some more time to recover, but he should still be able to train most of the offseason. Reichel said after the Blackhawks' season that he planned to work in the offseason with a development coach for the first time. The Blackhawks have a number of prospects whose draft rights are set to expire on June 1 and not expected to sign before then. Those players include Victor Stjernborg, a 2021 fourth-round pick, Alex Pharand, a 2023 fourth-round pick, Marcel Marcel, a 2023 fifth-round pick, and Milton Oscarson, a 2023 sixth-round pick.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bruins' coaching search will stretch past the second round of the playoffs
BRIGHTON, Mass. — It took the New York Rangers four days to hire Mike Sullivan as their next head coach. It will take the Boston Bruins longer to lock up their target. General manager Don Sweeney has conducted multiple introductory phone interviews with prospective coaches. He has yet to interview any candidates in person. At least one target is still coaching into the eight-team second round of the playoffs. However, Sweeney plans to progress to video interviews shortly. He will then promptly proceed to in-person interviews. Interim coach Joe Sacco and assistant coach Jay Leach remain under consideration. 'It could easily be one of them,' Sweeney said of Sacco and Leach. 'They're strong candidates, and they'll be in the candidate pool, along with some really good experienced-level coaches on different levels. We're going to find the right guy.' The Bruins have competition. After the New York Rangers filled their vacancy on May 2, following Sullivan's ouster on April 28, six clubs are searching for full-time coaches: the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks. David Carle could have been on the Bruins' initial list. Monday, Carle signed a multiyear extension with the University of Denver. Carle, 35, has coached the Pioneers to two NCAA championships. Sweeney is a methodical operator, usually not influenced by his competitors. Even if Sullivan checked multiple boxes for the Bruins, Sweeney has a plan to conduct a thorough search. He will not accelerate the process. So far, Sweeney has not gotten specific about how he intends to rebuild the roster with the coaches he has interviewed. He has been asked repeatedly about the health of returning players; Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, the team's top two defensemen, are expected to be full participants for training camp. The interviews have not advanced to the point where prospective coaches are pitching Bruins-specific concepts, philosophies and plans for improvement. 'Some of them are evaluating their own teams, and (we're) not disrupting that,' Sweeney said of current candidates. 'But the other guys are going through the weeds of what this opportunity represents for them.' The next coach is unlikely to have his new employer draft an NHL-ready player in June. The Bruins suffered the worst-case scenario in Monday's draft lottery. The team with the NHL's fifth-worst record in 2024-25 will pick seventh on June 27 in Los Angeles, after the New York Islanders and Utah Hockey Club won the first and second slots. 'We're still picking in the upper echelon of the draft, which we haven't done for a significant time period,' Sweeney said. 'So we feel very comfortable in terms of where the top seven picks are. We'll get a good player, an impact player, regardless of the disappointment of moving back a couple spots. It's just the nature of the lottery.' The last time the Bruins picked this high was in 2010. That year, they took Tyler Seguin No. 2 overall after Taylor Hall. Sweeney traded his first-round picks in 2018 (for Rick Nash), 2020 (Ondrej Kase), 2022 (Lindholm) and 2023 (Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway). Their last three first-round picks were Dean Letourneau (No. 25, 2024), Fabian Lysell (No. 21, 2021) and Johnny Beecher (No. 30, 2019). 'The stakes are a little higher. And they should be,' Sweeney said of drafting higher than he's been used to picking in Round 1. 'You're trying to evaluate players that are impacting your hockey club. You do find players that trickle down and impact later on as well. But I think you have to expect to hit your pick when you're picking where we are.' The Bruins are desperate for skill at every position. They will not necessarily draft out of need at No. 7. 'We're just trying to take the best player that has a chance to be the best player in the National Hockey League he's capable of being,' Sweeney said. 'You always value hockey sense. You always value skating. You always value how competitive the player is. You try and take the best player you possibly can.' (Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
