It appears Mike Woodson will be involved with the Knicks again, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports his returning to the organization “in a capacity.”
Woodson was a head coach candidate for the Knicks’ vacancy, but Tom Thibodeau – the long-standing favorite to win the job – was officially announced as new head coach on Thursday. SNY’s Ian Begley reported that some head coach candidates would be considered for other roles with the club after the initial hire was made.
Woodson was a top candidate for that to happen, as he and interim head coach Mike Miller had strong internal support to be added as assistants on Thibodeau’s staff, according to SNY sources.
Thibodeau was asked specifically about Woodson joining his staff during his introductory press conference, and he deflected by saying “no final decisions have been made.”
“When you’re putting your staff together, you’re looking at the qualities you think will fit your team best – what you think you need,” he said. “So I think you always sit down with your front office to go over people that you think can help. I’m confident we’re going to sit down, I’m going to listen to the people they have, I’ll recommend some people I know. Some of them are going to be on both lists. So I’m real comfortable with that.”
Woodson began his tenure with the Knicks during the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach before having the torch passed to him in the interim that same season. He went 18-6 in those games. Woodson, then, retained his head coach position for the next two seasons, going 54-28 in 2012-13 (the last time the Knicks made the playoffs) and 37-45 in 2013-14.
Woodson last coached in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018.