New York Knicks have hired David Fizdale as their new head coach according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale, who last served as the Memphis Grizzlies coach, will sign a four year deal with the Knicks and his hiring is expected to be announced on a press conference scheduled for early next week.
David Fizdale was the Knicks’ main target for the job after they fired Jeff Hornacek in early April. Fizdale met with the team’s owner James Dolan on Thursday, and after the meeting, Dolan gave permission to president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry to negotiate a deal. According to the sources, after the official confirmation, Fizdale will travel to Latvia in order to meet with the Knicks main star, center Kristaps Porzingis.
Besides Fizdale, Knicks interviewed several other candidates including former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Warriors coach Mark Jackson and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.
There were several other teams interested for the services of David Fizdale, including Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns. The 43-year-old even discussed a potential deal with the Suns but decided to turn down the opportunity hoping that he will get the offer from the Knicks.
Fizdale started his NBA coaching career serving as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. In 2008 he joined Miami Heat in the same role and was part of the Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff who led the Heat to two NBA championships.
In 2016 he was named Memphis Grizzlies head coach, and reached the playoffs in his first season. After starting the 2017-18 NBA season with 7–12 record and clashing with Marc Gasol, Fizdale was fired by the Grizzlies.
