Report: Knicks reach out to Van Gundy, Jackson about coaching vacancy
The New York Knicks are adding a familiar face to their list of candidates as they search for a new head coach following Jeff Hornacek's dismissal.
The organization has officially reached out to Jeff Van Gundy - who coached the team from 1996-2001 - and Mark Jackson, a source told the New York Daily News' Frank Isola.
Other names in the mix include former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale, and reportedly Raptors 905 coach Jerry Stackhouse as well.
Van Gundy currently serves as a color commentator for ESPN's NBA broadcasts. He unexpectedly resigned as coach of the Knicks 19 games into the 2001-02 season, even though the team had won four of its previous five games and possessed an overall winning record.
In a 2013 interview, Van Gundy cited several reasons for leaving the position, including the Toronto Raptors bouncing the Knicks from the playoffs, the Patrick Ewing trade, and Larry Johnson's retirement.
He has the third-most victories in franchise history (248) and the second-most in the playoffs (37). Van Gundy also manned the sidelines during New York's last trip to The Finals in 1999.
Jackson played seven seasons in the Big Apple (1987-92, 2000-02), and ranks second in Knicks history with 4,005 assists.
Hornacek was fired after New York (29-53) failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth year in a row.