When the New York Knicks named assistant coach Kurt Rambis as the interim head coach after firing Derek Fisher, it was reported that Phil Jackson did so with the intent of eventually offering Rambis the full-time head coaching gig.
According to a report from Marc Stein and Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks are now strongly considering making that decision.
The New York Knicks are giving strong consideration to making Kurt Rambis their full-time head coach, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that Rambis, who has served as the Knicks’ interim coach since Derek Fisher was fired Feb. 8, is the preferred choice of team president ?Phil Jackson, who sources say is pushing for a new multiyear deal for Rambis despite New York’s 8-16 record since the coaching change.
Jackson has a familiarity with Rambis and seems to trust him running the team:
Rambis worked two stints as an assistant coach to Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining him for four of his 11 championship rings, and has grown very close to Jackson thanks to that longstanding relationship. Sources say Jackson, who took his post with the Knicks in March 2014, has had a much more frequent presence at Knicks practices at home since Rambis took over.
With Jackson, 70, insisting that he can no longer handle the day-to-day rigors of coaching, sources say he sees Rambis as the coach best suited to not only run the triangle offense he favors but also manage the team using Jackson’s long-held principles.
A report from the New York Post this week fended off a popular outside prospect for the Knicks head coaching job, Tom Thibodeau, and also propped up Rambis as the frontrunner for the job, citing his relationship with Jackson as “rarely seen between head coach and president anymore”.
While Phil Jackson has no rightful desire to return to the sidelines and coach, he does seem to want to be involved, and he’s having a better experience doing that with his old friend as opposed to his pupil in Fisher.
Rambis’ only term as a head coach was 2009-10 and 2010-11 with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His record in those two seasons was 32-102.
