D’Antoni agrees to deal with Knicks

The New York Knicks have agreed in principle with Mike D'Antoni to become the next head coach of the team. A press conference will be scheduled upon the completion of the contract.

D'Antoni, who led the Phoenix Suns to three division titles and two trips to the Western Conference Finals, was the NBA's coach of the year in 2004-05 after the Suns tied a franchise record with 62 victories.

Prior to his coaching career, D'Antoni played three full NBA seasons before pursuing a long career in Italy, where he was one of the best players in Europe. He went on to become one of the top coaches in European basketball before landing his first NBA job with the Denver Nuggets in 1998.

Since D'Antoni came to Phoenix in December 2003, the Suns have gone 253-136 for the fourth-best winning percentage in the league over that time span. Only the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons won more games than D'Antoni's Suns.

D'Antoni, 57, grew up in West Virginia and attended Marshall University, where he enjoyed a standout basketball career before being selected in the second round of the 1973 NBA Draft.

Check back here at NYKnicks.com after Tuesday's 1:00pm press conference for more information about this developing story.