Could Former Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni Join Jazz?

D'Antoni coached for the Knicks from 2008-12.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 5, 2022

The Utah Jazz are in need of a head coach after Quin Snyder announced that he'd step down after eight seasons at the helm.

The Jazz are expected to start their coaching search immediately, and former New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni could be the guy to replace him.

D'Antoni, 71, would be the second-oldest head coach in the NBA if he is hired behind San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

D'Antoni has been a head coach for five NBA teams: Denver Nuggets (1998-99), Phoenix Suns (2003-08), Knicks (2008-12), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-14) and most recently, the Houston Rockets (2016-20).

Since leaving the Rockets, D'Antoni has taken on small coaching or consulting roles with the Brooklyn Nets (2020-21) and the New Orleans Pelicans, but there might be an itch to return to the bench.

Known as one of the masterminds of the postmodern NBA offense, which originated with the "7 Seconds or Less" Suns back in the mid-2000s, D’Antoni was able to evolve that even further during his tenure in Houston.

D'Antoni posted a 121-167 record during parts of four seasons with the Knicks, good enough for a .420 winning percentage. He also qualified for the playoffs during the 2010-11 season.

D'Antoni has seen the Conference Finals three times in his career, but his biggest doubters have criticized his inability to break through to the biggest stage in the postseason.

Now, he may get another opportunity to prove his critics wrong in Utah if he takes over in Snyder's place.

Published Jun 5, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.