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The Duel

3 Potential Candidates to be the Knicks' Next Head Coach Following the Firing of David Fizdale

By David Kaestle

Mark Jackson during a game as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Mark Jackson during a game as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. / Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
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The New York Knicks fired head coach David Fizdale on Friday, ending his tenure with the team less than two years into his four-year contract. So, yet again, the Knicks are in need of a new leader on the sidelines.

They have already announced assistant coach Mike Miller will take over the duties in the interim, but looking ahead to next season, let's consider who will take over the reigns full time.

1. Mike Miller

Mike Miller talking to his team as the coach of the Westchester Knicks.
Mike Miller talking to his team as the coach of the Westchester Knicks. / Twitter: @SNY

As mentioned above, Mike Miller will take over the job for presumably the rest of this season, but he's been a part of the Knicks organization for a while. The former head coach of the Westchester Knicks, the team's G-League affiliate, Miller spent four seasons in that position before being called up to the NBA bench. He had a 108-92 record. In 2017-18, Miller lead the team to a 32-18 record and the best record in the league's Eastern Conference. His consideration for the job beyond this season will almost surely depend on how he handles things the rest of the way, but if he finds success, the Knicks might choose to go with the in-house guy.

2. Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson coaches for the Golden State Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks.
Mark Jackson coaches for the Golden State Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks. / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

A Brooklyn native, St. John's alumni and former Knicks point guard, Mark Jackson is a legend in New York. He has been out of coaching after being fired by the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2014-15 season. Jackson is a hard-nosed coach, who could possibly reignite both the team and the fanbase. With a career 121-109 coaching record, many believe Jackson is the best and most-proven coach available on the open market as of now. Adding in the New York connection only makes his appeal that much more apparent.

3. Dave Joerger

Dave Joerger on the sidelines coaching during a game for the Sacramento Kings.
Dave Joerger on the sidelines coaching during a game for the Sacramento Kings. / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Last season, at 39-43, Dave Joerger led the Sacramento Kings to their best record since Rick Adelman in 2005-06. The Kings, similar to the Knicks, have spent much of the last decade in complete dismay. If Joerger can turn around a franchise like he did in Sacramento, he could be a good candidate to attempt the same thing in New York. There's no indication if there's mutual interest, but regardless of the dysfunction, the Knicks will always remain a desirable job, and with Joerger's track record, the Knicks should consider him as well.

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.