Report: Knicks to Hire Mike Woodson as Assistant

After leading the Knicks to the playoffs as their head coach in the early 2010s, Mike Woodson will be returning to the franchise as an assistant under new coach Tom Thibodeau. More here:

Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that Mike Woodson, former head coach of the New York Knicks, will be joining the staff of new head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson is expected to join the Knicks organization in a capacity, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Woodson led the Knicks to a 54-28 record in 2012-13, which marks their most recent playoff appearance and highest win total since 1996-97.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 30, 2020

Woodson coached the Knicks to their most recent playoff appearance in the 2013 season, as noted by Charania, and had a 37-45 record in the year following that one. Before his stints as an assistant and head coach in New York, Woodson spent from 1996 to 2010 working as an assistant coach for Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Detroit; from 2004 to 2010 as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks; and after being fired in New York after two and a half seasons, from 2014 to 2018 as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about Woodson's potential involvement on his staff in his first press conference as the leader of the Knicks' locker room today, to which he responded that no final decisions had been made yet. However, this report from Charania, as well as other reports regarding the hire of Woodson as an assistant to Thibodeau, indicate the former Knicks coach will find another spot on the bench at MSG. 

Knicks finalizing terms of deal with Tom Thibodeau to become next head coach, sources confirm. There is strong internal support for former NYK head coach Mike Woodson & interim head coach Mike Miller to be added as assistants on Thibodeau's staff. Details: https://t.co/GqQXCdQDO3

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 25, 2020

Would not be surprised or upset at all with a coaching staff of Thibs, Woodson, Miller. If Woody and Miller split lead assistant duties I would love to see this happen

— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) June 5, 2020

With Woodson seemingly being a part of Thibodeau's staff, it remains to be seen if former interim-head coach Mike Miller will be brought back as well. Ian Begley of SNY reported that both Woodson and Miller were under consideration as assistant coaches, and the team has now brought in one of them, and Thibodeau spoke highliy of Miller's work at the press conference.

More updates on Thibodeau, his opening press conference, and take-aways from that press conference to come soon here on KnicksSI.