New York Knicks: Ranking the head coaching candidates

Ranking Knicks coaching candidates: 5) Mike Woodson

Only one coach has left New York with a winning record since Jeff Van Gundy stepped down in 2001 and over a full coaching tenure under owner James Dolan, and that is Mike Woodson. According to SNY, the former Knicks coach will be interviewed for the current head coaching position.

Woodson led the Knicks to one of their best regular season records. They won 54-games in 2012-13, 7th most in franchise history, and by far, the most since James Dolan took over ownership of the team in 1999.

He was fired shortly after Phil Jackson took over as president of the Knicks and following a disappointing 2013-14 campaign that couldn’t build on the amazing momentum from the previous season.

The 62-year-old coach was an assistant for the Clippers for four seasons after leaving New York, before moving on from that role in 2018.

It’s hard to fully separate the results Woodson achieved in New York with the roster he was given control over. The team had Carmelo Anthony as an All-NBA player, and Woodson, perhaps infamously, built the offense around the prolific scorer. The team became a deadly three-point shooting team in 2012-13 under Woodson, aided by veterans such as Jason Kidd. With perimeter shooting, interior defense from Tyson Chandler, and the hot hand of Anthony, they were a fun team.

It’s questionable whether Woodson would be able to recreate that magic with a young team that doesn’t feature a star player who he can riden. Woodson is a better fit for a veteran team looking for a change of voice than a developing squad like the Knicks.