New York Knicks Fire Coach Tom Thibodeau

The Knicks lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

The departure of Thibodeau comes after the Knicks lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. It was New York's first appearance in the conference finals in 25 years.

"Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans," team president Leon Rose said in a statement confirming the news. "This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we have decided to move in another direction. We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future."

Thibodeau led the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm, and New York won 50-plus games in consecutive seasons for the first time since the '90s.

The 67-year-old Thibodeau went 226–174 in five seasons, and 24–23 in the postseason.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.