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RYE, N.Y. – Rye resident Mike D’Antoni resigned as head coach of the New York Knicks Wednesday, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports.
Who would you like to see take over as head coach of the New York Knicks?
View ResultsWho would you like to see take over as head coach of the New York Knicks?
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Mike Woodson
3% -
Phil Jackson
42% -
I wish D'Antoni were still the coach.
42% -
Other
13%
D’Antoni and New York Knicks owner James Dolan met Wednesday and made the decision together, the report said.
“It was a mutual decision to no longer coach the Knicks … conflicting visions of the club’s future,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
D’Antoni, known for his coaching system that’s predicated on the fast break and run-and-gun style, reportedly has had issues with Carmelo Anthony, whom the Knicks acquired in a blockbuster trade last February. The coach could not get Anthony to buy into his system, according to the report on Yahoo! Sports.
The Knicks have lost six straight games to drop to 18-24 on the season and have fallen out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. D’Antoni has drawn much of the ire of Knicks fans for the team’s struggles.
Since moving to Rye in 2008, D'Antoni and his family have entrenched themselves in the greater Rye community. For the past three years around Thanksgiving Coach D'Antoni and his wife Laurel, along with other Knicks coaches and personnel, have partnered with the Carver Center in Port Chester to conduct a free basketball clinic for members of the High School's basketball teams in addition to distributing over 150 turkeys to members of the center's food pantry. D'Antoni's son Mike, a junior at Rye High School, played on the Garnets Varsity basketball team.
D’Antoni took over as coach of the Knicks in May 2008. New York was 121-167 with D’Antoni as the head coach.
Assistant coach Mike Woodson, former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, will take over as the interim head coach.
The Knicks held a press conference at Madison Square Garden at 6 p.m. Wednesday to formally announce the resignation. Woodson and senior vice president of basketball operations Glen Grunwald answered questions from the press for several minutes.
Grunwald said D’Antoni’s decision came when he realized it was time to make a change.
“I think he felt it was best for the organization. I think it was a selfless move,” Grunwald said.
Woodson remained optimistic and said the Knicks can be a factor in the Eastern Conference.
“We still have a grand opportunity to do something special here in New York,” Woodson said.
Information from Yahoo! Sports was used in this report.
Comments (2)
Let's see, the player wouldn't buy in to the coach's plan so the coach must go? They should have traded Anthony away. I'm dating myself but could you imagine Red Auerbach's Celtics having a player that wouldn't "buy in" to his style of play? Good bye, player. Anyone who would take a coaching position in the Knick's organization is crazy...Best of luck in the future, Mr. D'Antoni...
Gee this sucks. From all accounts one of Rye’s great Dad’s and a great family all around. We’re proud to have them among us and wish them all only good things in the future.
Now why doesn’t our fully compromised Rye City Mayor be as good a man and likewise resign today?