Tom Thibodeau could be making a return to the sidelines.
The New York Knicks will begin their coaching search soon and Thibodeau is currently the top candidate, according to The Athletic.
The Knicks fired coach David Fizdale in December after a 4-18 start. Since then, Mike Miller has served as interim coach.
Miller, according to The Athletic, is expected to receive an interview once the search process is officially underway. Former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is reportedly likely to receive an interview as well.
Thibodeau has not coached since January of 2019, when he was fired from the Minnesota Timberwolves as both coach and president of basketball operations. He’s assembled a 352-246 coaching record between his stints with Minnesota and the Chicago Bulls.
He led Chicago to the playoffs in each of his five seasons as coach, including a trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 2011. His tenure with the Timberwolves, which lasted 2 ½ seasons, featured a playoff berth that ended the franchise’s 14-year playoff drought.
The Knicks and president of basketball operations Leon Rose will reportedly be targeting their next coach “within the next few weeks,” but the timetable could be impacted by the NBA’s decision on how to approach the upcoming season, per The Athletic.
New York is 21-45 and sits at 12th in the Eastern Conference.
