The New York Knicks are at a standstill in their search for a replacement for ex-coach Tom Thibodeau, whom they fired at the end of their 2025 playoff run. Multiple franchises blocked them from speaking with active coaches, and it would appear that with the process stalled, college basketball legend and former Knicks coach Rick Pitino suggested the team should go the way of a former player in Mark Jackson, who hasn’t coached for more than a decade. When asked about Pitino’s endorsement, Jackson did not indicate whether he has interest in the Knicks job, instead saying that his former coach has “great taste.”
Pitino coached Jackson during the latter’s first two seasons in the NBA. Under his guidance, Jackson was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1988 and secured an All-Star selection the following season.
“He’s a legend,” Jackson said of Pitino. “I love him to death. I’m not in the league 17 years playing if he’s not my first coach. I’m forever grateful, and he’s Coach to me. He’s a brilliant basketball mind. He’s turned over St. John’s University and turned back the hand of time to bring them back to their glory days. It’s great to watch. It’s fun to watch. He’s one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports, not just basketball. And on top of that, he’s got great taste by that statement.”
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Following his playing career, Jackson in 2011 landed his first and only coaching job with the Golden State Warriors. He oversaw a franchise resurgence and guided the Warriors to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over two decades, setting the stage for an eventual dynasty. The team culture soured, though, and the Warriors fired Jackson in 2014 after his brief stint as a once-promising riser in the industry.
“I obviously coached our rookie of the year, Mark Jackson,” Pitino posted on X on Wednesday. “I believe he spent 18 years in the NBA as a player. Great coach with the Warriors and one of the brightest minds I’ve coached. Would love to see the Knicks bring Mark Jackson home!!”
Jackson, a native New Yorker, is intimately familiar with basketball in the city. He played high school ball in Brooklyn, starred in college at St. John’s and opened his NBA career with five seasons with the Knicks. He has not coached since his 2014 exit from Golden State, however.
The Knicks are fresh off their best regular season since 2012-13 and reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. They reportedly moved on from Thibodeau after player input sounded alarms within the organization and cast doubt on his ability to take the team to the NBA Finals.
