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The New York Knicks announced Monday that they have fired head coach Mike Woodson after the Knights missed the playoffs.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The News Was Expected
BREAKING: Knicks have fired coach Mike Woodson, according to ESPN sources. » pic.twitter.com/RuYfbQwCCB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 21, 2014
Woodson was widely assumed to be on the chopping block after the Knicks missed the playoffs, especially after the team hired coaching legend (and former Knick) Phil Jackson as team president.
2. Woodson’s Assistants Were Also Fired
The New York Knicks have fired head coach Mike Woodson, and his entire staff. of assistants.Woodson previously coached the Atlanta Hawks.
— CBS46 (@CBS46atl) April 21, 2014
The Knicks announced that the entire staff had been let go, meaning the new coach will be able to pick his own staff.
3. Steve Kerr Has Been Rumored as a Replacement
Mike Woodson fired.. Steve Kerr up next..(?) the Knicks are being taken over the mid-90s Bulls http://t.co/df2XHbrF9o #couldbeworse
— Hasani Gittens (@hgitty) April 21, 2014
Kerr, a lights-out 3-point shooter who won three championships under Jackson with the Chicago Bulls, is widely believed to be Jackson’s choice to coach the team.
Kerr, a former NBA coach and executive, is now a basketball analyst for Turner Sports.
4. Woodson Was Promoted When the Knicks Fired Mike D’Antoni
Woodson was an assistant under D’Antoni before the Knicks fired D’Antoni. D’Antoni has coached the Los Angeles Lakers for the past two seasons, but after the Purple and Gold missed the playoffs, D’Antoni may be the next coach to be fired.
D’Antoni was hired after an internal struggle in which some executives wanted to hire Jackson. When the Lakers went with D’Antoni, it opened the window for the Knicks to hire Jackson.
5. The Knicks Had an Awful Year
The team not only underachieved, but is also being forced to sit by as the cross-town rival Nets bask in the spotlight of a playoff run. Brooklyn is playing the Toronto Raptors in the fist round and has commanded attention on the back pages of New York tabloids and on talk radio.
The Knicks will be back in the spotlight at least temporarily — but not because of anything they’ve done on the court.