Knicks Announce Tom Thibodeau Firing After Playoff Loss

The New York Knicks will go looking for a new head coach after the firing to Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday.

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau questions a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Feb. 11, 2025. AP Photo/Michael Conroy

After five seasons at the helm, Tom Thibobdeau is no longer the New York Knicks’ head coach.

The Knicks released a statement on Tuesday regarding the decision, which came days after the team lost the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. Thibodeau led the Knicks to the east finals for the first time in 25 years before the Pacers won the series 6–2.

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” Knicks president Leon Rose said via a statement on Tuesday. “This pursuit led us to the decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction.

“We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward,” Rose added.

“Tom will always be part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

Thibodeau took over as Knicks coach in 2020 and he led the team to the playoffs in four of his five seasons. New York also had winning records in four of those five seasons and hit 50 wins or more for the first time in 30 years.

The Knicks became a consistent winner under Thibodeau after a seven-year playoff drought and seven-straight losing seasons. New York rewarded Thibodeau with a contract extension in 2024.

As the fourth-winningest coach in Knicks history, Thibodeau could continue his successful career elsewhere. He has a 255–139 career record and .579 winning between his stints with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The New Britain, Connecticut, native won a title as an assistant with the Boston Celtics in 2008 but he has yet to reach an NBA Finals as a head coach. Thibodeau came close in his first year with the Bulls when the team made the East finals but lost to the Miami Heat.

While the Bulls had winning seasons and playoff appearances in each of Thibodeau’s seasons, the Bulls let him go in 2016, and he joined the Wolves. Minnesota tried to build around Jimmy Butler at the time, which didn’t pan out with two short playoff appearances, so the Wolves let him go in 2019.

Thibodeau added a key player from his Wolves tenure when the Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns in 2024. Towns averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game—his best numbers since the last time he played for Thibodeau in Minnesota.

“I think that we’re just in this game of life, we’re just finding ourselves and getting better all the time,” Towns told the media in January via the New York Post.

Knicks guard Josh Hart made his thoughts known right away after Thibodeau’s firing. Hart was a go-to player for the Knicks this season amid 13.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

“Forever grateful,” Hart wrote on social media regarding the news. “Thank you!”

Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson previously talked up keeping Thibodeau after the playoff loss. Brunson played a major role in the Knicks’ run amid 26 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy? Yes,” Brunson told reporters on May 31.

Instead, Brunson and company will have a new coach for 2025-2026. Numerous options exist from Michael Malone, who won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, to Sam Cassell, a longtime assistant and former NBA championship player. Other potential candidates to watch for include Steve Nash, Frank Vogel, Taylor Jenkins, Danny Hurley, and Johnnie Bryant.