Knicks Boss Was Always Destined For Coaching

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looked back on his coaching entry when discussing an old friend's new gig.

Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has deveoped a decent following among Madison Square Garden dwellers but he may have committed the unthinkable.

Thibodeau touched upon a potentially forbidden friendship, namely that he shares with legendary football head coach Bill Belichick. Known for his lasting tenure with the New England Patriots (who routinely bullied Belichick's former employers, the New York Jets), Belichick is back in the coaching game after last week, which saw him take the top job at the University of North Carolina.

Belichick's re-entry had Thibodeau thinking of his own first steps, as the Knicks boss reasoned that he was always destined to carry a clipboard.

“I never really planned on anything other than I knew I wanted to be a coach,” Thibodeau said over the weekend, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I’ve loved the job that I’ve had whether I was an assistant, a college coach, an NBA assistant, an NBA head coach. They’re all great jobs if you love teaching and leadership and being part of a team, being part of an organization."

"I saw where Bill said that ... it's not work and we’re fortunate to be doing stuff that we love.”

Like Belichick, Thibodeau is a New England coaching legend in his own right, as he was born in New Britain, CT. Division III Salem State hosted his first coaching jobs before he moved onto Harvard, and he has been stationed on NBA sidelines since 1989, when he joined the original Minnesota Timberwolves.

Thibodeau later secured an NBA title with the Boston Celtics as an assistant in 2008, leading to his head coaching tours in Chicago, Minnesota, and Manhattan. The signer of a contract extension over the offseason, Thibodeau is the first Knicks coach to make it to year five of his residency since Jeff Van Gundy.

While Thibodeau is impressed with the name-brand talent making their way to the college game, such as Belichick and former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski who is now the general manager of St. Bonaventure's men's basketball program, there's no indication that he's set to follow in their footsteps.

Thibodeau guided the Knicks to a 100-91 win over the Orlando Magic over the weekend. He'll now have four days to prepare for their next challenge, a Thursday visit to his original NBA employers in Minnesota (9:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).

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