Ranking Knicks coaching candidates: 6) Mark Jackson
Perhaps the most polarizing candidate for the head coaching job is former Knick Mark Jackson. The New York product has been loosely tied to the Knicks, as he was under consideration before the team hired David Fizdale, and he is still held in high regard by people in the Knicks organization, according to Ian Begley.
Jackson took over a faltering Warriors team in 2011 who had made the playoffs only once in the previous 17 seasons. By his second season on the job, the team surpassed 40 wins (47) for the first time since 2008, and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals. Jackson won 51 games the following season, before being upset in the first round of the playoffs, and despite popularity among the players, including Steph Curry, he was fired.
So what happened? Why did Jackson lose his job after putting the Warriors on the path toward excellence? Well, that’s where we get into the challenges with Jackson. Apparently, behind the scenes, he is not an easy person to work alongside, which would surely go over well at Madison Square Garden under James Dolan (tongue-in-cheek).
Today, Mark Jackson interviews to become head coach of the New York #Knicks. You should not want this. Here is a thread about why.
— Alex Wolfe (@thealexwolfe) April 18, 2018
RT this to the moon and make sure to tag @scmills and @boxand21 so they know what’s up.#NeverMarkJackson
If you want to get real detailed into the reasons Jackson is considered a troubling candidate, read the Twitter thread above. There are several anecdotes, on and off the court, that call into question Jackson’s character.
Knicks fans either love or hate Mark Jackson. I doubt he actually gets the job, and I would rank him last among the leading candidates.