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New York Knickerbockers Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Interim General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that it has been mutually decided that Mike D’Antoni will no longer be the head coach of the Knicks. Mike Woodson has been named interim head coach.
“After speaking with Mike this morning, we mutually agreed that it would be best for the organization if he did not continue in his role as coach of the Knicks,” said Jim Dolan, executive chairman of The Madison Square Garden Company. “Mike is a class act and true professional and we have appreciated his honesty, commitment and years of service to the organization.”
Over the past four seasons, D’Antoni, who had been hired on May 13, 2008, compiled a 121-167 (.420) record at the helm, including leading the team to the NBA Playoffs last season.
“We thank Mike for the hard work he and his staff had put towards making New York a destination for great players in our league as we went through our rebuilding process,” Grunwald said. “But now is the time to look forward to the remaining 24 games of the season. We have a lot of faith in Mike Woodson, who will focus all of his efforts to get this team back into the playoffs and make our final push.”
In six seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Woodson compiled a 206-286 (.419) record, that included three consecutive playoff appearances ending an eight-year drought. He was named a Knicks assistant coach on Aug. 29, 2011.
