Although interim head coach Mike Woodson seems to be doing a
good job with the New York Knicks, he is not a lock to be their head coach next
season. If the Knicks do decide to go another direction next year though, there
is an ex-Knick who would love a shot at the job; former Knicks’ center Patrick
Ewing.
Like the Tim Tebow-Peyton Manning issue in Denver, Knicks
fans love what Woodson has done so far but if Phil Jackson were to throw his
name in the hat then Woodson would be out faster than you can say the name
Jeremy Lin.
While nobody doubts that Jackson would have first dibs on
the job, in the event that Jackson decides to stay retired Ewing has expressed
his desire to be entered into the conversation.
The sight of Ewing once again on the Knicks’ bench would be intriguing
but his chances of landing the job are virtually zilch. The Knicks’ head coaching
position is one of the highest profile coaching positions in the league. It’s not
a position that you place in the hands of someone with no head coaching
experience.
Ewing still tried to make his case though citing his knowledge
of the New York media and fans. He also touted his nine years of tutelage as an
assistant head coach under Stan Van Gundy, his brother Jeff and Doug Collins.
If the Knicks were still in rebuilding mode, then taking a
chance on Ewing wouldn’t be such a bad idea but after amassing so much talent
this team can’t afford to go with an inexperienced head coach.
No Ewing may have to go the same route that two other ex-Knicks
currently coaching in the league had to take. Doc Rivers coached in Orlando
before landing the head coaching job in Boston while Mark Jackson is getting
his feet wet as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Both started their coaching careers in smaller markets
coaching teams with little to no expectations of actually competing for a
championship. If Ewing wants a shot at the Knicks’ coaching position sometime
in the future then he’s going to have to take the same route. It’s either that
or wait until they go into another rebuilding phase.
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at RHall_TPFB@Yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
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