Skip to content

Stan Van Gundy denies interest in Knicks, thinks Nets are better job

Allen Einstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

Stan Van Gundy says he'd send the New York Knicks straight to voicemail.

The Knicks are still searching for a permanent head coach after firing David Fizdale in December - with Mike Miller currently holding the interim title - and Van Gundy made sure to rule himself out early.

"I'm not interested in the ... Knicks. No," he said on ESPN Radio, according to the New York Post's Brian Lewis. "First of all, there's a family history there. If anyone would be interested in that - and I'm not sure he is either - it would be my brother."

Van Gundy was referring to his younger sibling, Jeff Van Gundy, who spent 12 seasons with the Knicks, including seven as head coach. He took New York to the 1999 NBA Finals before falling to the San Antonio Spurs.

These days, the Knicks aren't the only coaching vacancy in New York City. The crosstown Brooklyn Nets are also searching for a new bench boss after unexpectedly parting ways with Kenny Atkinson, and Stan Van Gundy thinks they're the more enticing opportunity.

"Of the two, the Nets are the better job," he said. "There's no question about that right now. The organization has been more stable. They've won more games. They have more talent."

Van Gundy hasn't coached in the NBA since 2017-18, his last season in a four-year stint with the Detroit Pistons. He's arguably best known for a five-year stretch with the Orlando Magic, during which he led the franchise to just its second-ever Finals appearance in 2009.

Since leaving the Pistons, Van Gundy has worked as an analyst for ESPN and Turner Sports.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox