The New York Knicks finally announced a new head coach three weeks after showing Jeff Hornacek the door. David Fizdale will take over immediately after coming to an agreement with the Knicks on Monday. The unveiling took place at the Madison Square Garden.

The previous head coach, Hornacek, stayed with the NBA franchise for two seasons, only managing just 29 wins while losing 53 games during the 2017-18 season. The poor record saw them finish in 11th place. His contract was set to run for one more year, and he has yet to be paid $5 million for the termination of his contract.

He served for just one season under Steve Mills.

Shared in the Knick's vision

The Knicks president revealed that together with general manager Scott Perry, they had interviewed over ten candidates before finally settling on Fidzale. He said Fizdale satisfied every one of their requirements and that they were happy to have him moving forward.

Scott Perry told the packed news conference that the Knicks were getting someone who shared in the club’s vision and was of sound character, adding they couldn’t have found any better replacement for Hornacek than Fidzale. The team looks to play tough, defense-focused Basketball, lethal when on the attack and giving their all in every game.

Fizdale said that it was a dream come true and an honor to get to coach the New York-based outfit.

He narrated how it had always been his dream to one day play at the Garden, and while that never materialized, coaching was just as good.

Bring back lost glory

He appreciated the Knick’s rich history and feels proud to be part of them now. He vowed to work hard to bring back success to the Garden.

The Knicks last played in the NBA playoffs in the 2012-13 season where they were knocked out in the Conference semifinals by Indiana Pacers.

Their woes could continue into the new season with their star player, Kristaps Porzingis, out with an injury.

The 43-year old coach led the Memphis Grizzlies to the 2016-17 NBA playoffs but was let go from his contract early into the current season after clashing with center Marc Gasol. Fizdale took responsibility for the fallout and said lessons had been learned.

Fizdale was also part of the Miami Heat's team that won two NBA championship titles when he was assistant to head coach Eric Spoelstra. Before that, he was an assistant at Atlanta for four seasons, and with the Golden State Warriors for one season.

The new coach said he had no intentions of changing the outfit’s style of play as they had raw talent needed to do the job.
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