Ex Knicks Coach Jeff Van Gundy Among ESPN Layoffs
The latest round of ESPN layoffs includes former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy, whose departure was reported by Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
Van Gundy, 61, had been part of ESPN/ABC's premier broadcast pairing with current MSG Network play-by-play man Mike Breen and fellow New York alum Mark Jackson since 2007. Alongside Breen (with Jackson taking several years off to coach the Golden State Warriors), Van Gundy called some of the biggest NBA games over the past decade-plus and had been a part of every edition of NBA Finals coverage in that span.
He'd fall just short of joining Breen in the rare air of calling at least 100 games in the Finals, as he was a 96 after the five-game set between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat earlier this month. More recently, Van Gundy's name had been floated as a possible assistant coach for teams in need of sideline guidance.
Van Gundy had been paired with the Worldwide Leader since his last NBA head coaching job with the Houston Rockets in 2007. During his time alongside Breen and Jackson, he became well-known for his animated rants toward officials and other modern trends on and off the court.
Prior to his time at ESPN's broadcast desk, Van Gundy was best known for his time at the helm of the New York Knicks (1996-2002) after serving as an assistant under his four predecessors. Van Gundy has partaken in each of the Knicks' most recent runs to the NBA Finals, the latter in 1999 proving historic when he became the first head coach to guide a No. 8 seed to the NBA Finals. The 248 wins Van Gundy earned as the Knicks' boss are third in franchise history behind only Red Holzman and Joe Lapchick.
Marchand notes that ESPN plans to maintain a three-person team for its premier broadcasts, listing Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson, and JJ Redick as possible replacements.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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