Veteran coach Tom Thibodeau is on the verge of returning to a team where he was an assistant in the 1990s.
NEW YORK — Tom Thibodeau is apparently is returning to the New York Knicks, who are still seeking the success they enjoyed when he was an assistant two decades ago. The Knicks are finishing a deal to make Thibodeau their coach, a person with knowledge of the details said Saturday. No contract has been signed but a deal is expected to be announced next week, the person told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing. ESPN first reported that the Knicks and Thibodeau were completing a five-year contract. When they do, the 2011 NBA Coach of the Year with the Chicago Bulls will become the 13th person to coach the Knicks since Jeff Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season. Thibodeau was an assistant under Van Gundy, who led the Knicks to the 1999 NBA finals and into the postseason in every season he was there. New York has reached the playoffs just three times since Van Gundy’s departure. The Knicks went 21-45 this season, missing the playoffs for a seventh straight year. Mike Miller finished the season as interim coach after David Fizdale was fired 22 games into the season.
