Tom Thibodeau
Last Job: Head Coach, Chicago Bulls (2010-15)
Thibs is a flashy name that would love to be the next head coach of the New York Knicks, according to reports. And that’s the first big hurdle. A lot of times we see teams try to target coaches that have no interest in coaching said team. That won’t be an issue with Thibs. He wants to coach the Knicks, and if the Knicks want him, it’ll work.
The only problem I have with this hypothetical hiring is that I don’t know how long Carmelo Anthony would last under Thibs. You saw what he did to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago? Yea, he has a history of working his players a wee bit too hard.
In his defense, the results speak for themselves. Thibs led the Bulls to five-straight 45-plus win seasons and even won at least 50 games in three of them. He won 62 once; his first season in Chicago.
If it hadn’t been for LeBron James residing in the Eastern Conference, Thibs just might’ve led his Bulls team to the NBA Finals – at least once.
Next: Mark Jackson