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Ranking the 4 worst coaching hires in New York Knicks history

By Desmond Novack

New York Knicks new head coach Larry Brown, and team president Isiah Thomas (Photo by Daniel J. Barry/Getty Images)
New York Knicks new head coach Larry Brown, and team president Isiah Thomas (Photo by Daniel J. Barry/Getty Images) /
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David Fizdale, New York Knicks. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports)
David Fizdale, New York Knicks. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports) /

3. David Fizdale

Honestly, if the Knicks weren’t a rebuilding team at the time of David Fizdale’s hiring, he’d likely be much higher on the list. In some cases it’s hard to tell how good or bad a coach is when the team around them isn’t constructed well. With Fizdale, it was rather clear from the start that he didn’t have what it took to be a good coach anymore.

Fizdale is a very respected person in NBA circles, however, since his time as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat, and his lone successful season as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, he has been disappointing. While he was one of the best assistants in the league for a while, it’s very clear he was never fit to be a full-time head coach.

During his time with the Knicks, Fizdale racked up a record of 21-83, having the franchise record for the worst winning percentage. While his roster was nowhere near competent, as the Knicks were in the midst of a rebuild, his abilities as a coach were simply awful.

Things got even worse during his second season as the Knicks head coach. New York had made some moves to push its rebuild further along by drafting RJ Barrett third overall. Not only did Fizdale hinder the team’s chances of success, how he used Barrett offensively was a joke and nearly hindered his development.

Fizdale would be fired 22 games into the season and went on to have a brief stint as an assistant coach for the Lakers. Now, he is the assistant general manager for a rebuilding Utah Jazz team. Fans respect Fizdale, but we’re also glad the front office moved on from him sooner rather than later.