If the New York Knicks want to hire the best coach possible, they should at least take a flier on former coach Jeff Van Gundy.
On April 16, reports came out that, in their search for a new head coach, the New York Knicks haven’t shown any interest in even interviewing beloved former coach Jeff Van Gundy for the current vacancy.
The head coach for parts of seven season in the late 90s and early 2000s, Van Gundy had a successful tenure in New York. He led the Knicks to six playoff appearances, including the famous ’99 season, when the Knicks became the only No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals.
Since his departure in 2001, the Knicks have failed to establish any consistent levels of success, winning just a single playoff series.
If either Van Gundy or the Knicks decide that the 56-year-old isn’t right for the job after an interview, then they can both go on their separate ways knowing they gave it a shot, but for New York to not even give JVG a look is foolish on their part.
Story on the Knicks and Jeff Van Gundy: the club hasn't shown any interest in hiring Van Gundy at this point, league sources told ESPN. More here: https://t.co/boExV2V09A
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 16, 2018
As a head coach for over a decade in the NBA and an assistant for seven years prior to that, Van Gundy has a wealth of experience with the ins and outs of coaching.
One of the biggest complaints about Van Gundy possibly heading back to the sidelines is that, since he last coached in 2007, the NBA has changed dramatically, with a heavy emphasis on versatility at every position and an over-reliance on three-point shooting.
The last thing the Knicks need is an outdated leader who’s constantly thrusting his old ideas onto a team that doesn’t want to implement them—again.
Despite the long layoff, Van Gundy has served as a broadcaster at ESPN for what seems like forever, getting a first-row seat for some of the greatest moments in recent basketball history.
Part of being an NBA broadcaster is understanding the game, and as the years have progressed, Van Gundy has no doubt gained a vast amount of knowledge about how the game is played today, and would likely be able to use that as head coach of the Knicks.
Even in his NBA absence, Van Gundy has still found time to keep his coaching mind sharp.
As the head coach of the 2017 USA Men’s Basketball Team that won the FIBA AmeriCup with a roster of G-League stars, JVG showed he can still coach at a high level and succeed in today’s generation of basketball.
Maybe things like contract disputes, power control, or a simple lack of desire on his part are the reasons Van Gundy won’t be back with the Knicks for the 2018-19 season, but his abilities as a head coach shouldn’t be one of them.
According to general manager Scott Perry, the Knicks are looking for someone who can bring the identity from the 90’s into the modern era.
Perry says #Knicks want a coach who will understand the tough identity of the teams from the past. Sounds like they want to finally reconnect to that beloved era’s mindset.
— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) April 12, 2018
As the point guard for the Knicks in the late 80s and early 2000s, Mark Jackson has scored an interview with the team, which, if they’re serious about their objective, makes total sense.
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However, if the Knicks are truly serious about bridging the past with the future, the least they could do is give an interview to the head coach who represented 90s New York Knicks basketball better than almost anyone.