Knicks Rumors: Five rumored candidates to replace Jeff Hornacek

Mark Jackson

If the New York Knicks are going to part ways with Jeff Hornacek, then a candidate must soon emerge as a replacement. Simply firing Hornacek and hoping for the best would put the Knicks in the same cycle of disaster that’s defined the past 17 years.

One of the leading candidates for the job appears to be the fan favorite whom a number of Knicks fans have been calling for: Mark Jackson.

For a lack of a better term, Jackson has been the unicorn of the coaching world. His appeal has grown as the years have passed since his previous tenure with the Golden State Warriors, with the tales about his greatness resting somewhere between myth and non-fiction.

According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Jackson has emerged as one of the most commonly referenced names as a successor to Hornacek.

"The former Knicks guard Mark Jackson keeps coming up as a hot name to succeed Hornacek, amid a growing belief the Knicks’ new front-office chief — Scott Perry — will want to install his own hand-picked choice heading into next season."

If the Knicks are going to make a change at head coach, one of the best ways to appease the fan base would be to hire Jackson.

Jackson is largely credited with creating the foundation for the Golden State Warriors’ dominance. Steve Kerr‘s job has been criminally underrated, but the same can be said about Jackson’s in the sense that he established a defensive-minded culture and helped Stephen Curry develop.

The hope in New York appears to be that Jackson, who was an All-Star player for the Knicks, can create that same type of culture for Scott Perry and Co.