The Knicks finally made it official with Isiah Thomas.
Team president Donnie Walsh said today that Thomas is out as head coach and has been reassigned, reporting directly to Walsh.
“I just believe a new voice, a new coach, is necessary to change the direction of the team,” Walsh said in a conference call. “This is a coveted job. People want to coach here.”
Mark Jackson has emerged as the top candidate to replace Thomas, who was 33-49 and 23-59 in two seasons as coach. Thomas lost his team presidency 2-½ weeks ago when Walsh was hired, but was adamant about remaining in the organization. His new job has no title, and details of its responsibilities were vague.
Jackson quit his job with the YES Network on Wednesday night, but told The Post it was unrelated to the Knicks’ job.
Walsh indicated his interest in Jackson before Wednesday’s season finale in Indianapolis, saying he always knew he would make a good coach. Walsh tried to interview Jackson for the Pacers’ job last year, but Larry Bird was opposed.
Walsh also said he would put former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, and assistant Herb Williams, on the list of candidates.
Knicks players were resigned that Thomas would not return to the bench next season.
“I feel bad, I take things personally, like maybe I could’ve done more,” Jamal Crawford said. “I don’t think he should get all the criticism because you can only do so much as coach. I feel bad. I take it personally.”
The Thomas coaching era ended Wednesday night in Indiana, a fitting, high-scoring affair, a 132-123 loss to the Pacers.
That gave the Knicks the same stinking record – 23-59 – Larry Brown finished with two seasons ago. Thomas fell to 56-108 overall as coach.
“I can’t tell you really where we failed,” Walsh said. “The bottom line is we haven’t won, and the team didn’t look like it was motivated to try to win.”
This season, Thomas was found to have sexually harassed a former team employee, feuded with point guard Stephon Marbury, and benched center Eddy Curry, the players Thomas acquired in the two biggest of a number of moves that never panned out.
Walsh said he wants a new coach in place by the draft in June, when the Knicks will finally have their lottery pick again after handing over their last two to Chicago in the trade for Curry.
“Obviously, when you’re losing, there has to be a culture change,” he said. “There’s no easy answer. … We’ve got to work 24-7 to become competitive.”
And Thomas will be a part of that.
“I feel like some of the bigger events that happened on the way with Isiah overshadowed some of the good things” that he accomplished, Walsh said.
“I will be in touch with Isiah a lot,” he said.
Walsh also is zeroing in on a potential GM.
A source said Billy King, who lost out on the Bucks job, interviewed with Walsh earlier this week. Another possibility is former Bucks GM Larry Harris, according to a team source.
Who knows what Walsh has in store for Thomas, who repeated he’s up for anything. He could work with players or serve as a scout.
“I’ve always been in team sports,” Thomas has said. “I’ve never been a person that had to be the star or had to score all the points. I look at this as Donnie is a great acquisition coming to our team. Whatever role he assigns for us, if he needs me to rebound, pass, whatever we need to do to get things turned around and over in the right direction, his vision is one for us to execute.”
With The Associated Press