There will be a new voice in the Knicks locker room for the 2025-26 season, as two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown has been tabbed as the lead man to replace Tom Thibodeau.
Brown assumes the helm after the franchise spent the last five years led by Thibodeau, a no-nonsense head coach known for his reliance on key players in the rotation. Similarly, Brown has built a reputation for tolerating no nonsense, but New York is banking on fundamental differences between the two head coaches breeding different results in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
As Brown prepares to take the reins in the Big Apple, here is a closer look at the differences — and similarities — between him and Thibodeau.
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Mike Brown vs. Tom Thibodeau coaching record
Both Brown and Thibodeau have posted overall winning records over their respective coaching careers.
Brown, 55, has posted just one losing record in the nine full seasons he has been a head coach. He was, however, fired five games into the 2012-13 season (1-4 record) and was fired 31 games into the 2024-25 season (13-18 record). Additionally, Brown has a winning record in the playoffs, highlighted by a run to the 2007 NBA Finals and a trip to the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.
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Thibodeau, 67, has just two seasons with a losing record out of 12 full seasons on the sideline. He was fired 40 games into the 2018-19 season when the Timberwolves had a 19-21 record. Thibodeau has a losing record in the playoffs, and his deepest runs include trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011 and 2025.
| Brown | Thibodeau | |
| Regular season | 454-304 (.599) | 578-420 (.579) |
| Playoffs | 50-40 (.556) | 48-55 (.466) |
| Total | 504-344 (.594) | 626-475 (.569) |
Mike Brown vs. Tom Thibodeau rotation
One of the biggest knocks throughout Thibodeau’s coaching career is a perceived over-reliance on key players,
During the regular season, each member of New York’s starting five averaged at least 35.0 minutes per game — Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and O.G. Anunoby ranked in the top 10 in total minutes played this season, and Hart led the league in minutes per game. That much held during the playoffs, when Thibodeau had a tight rotation of seven players who played 18.9 minutes per game or more.
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To use the Kings‘ 2022-23 season — Brown’s best in Sacramento — as a reference point, the team’s minutes leader averaged 34.6 minutes per game, and the playoff rotation included eight players who averaged at least 16.9 minutes per contest.
In fairness to Thibodeau, the Knicks lacked true depth in 2024-25, and there was distrust in some rotational pieces. He employed them later in the playoffs, but their contributions were inconsistent.
Working in Brown’s favor are the additions of free agents Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, two rotational players Brown should be able to rely on more than the depth pieces in place last season.
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Things begin and end with the duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the Knicks should enter the season with at least nine trustworthy players when considering the remainder of the starting unit, the above two signings in addition to Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson.
All else will be an added bonus.
Mike Brown coaching style
Brown has worn many hats during a coaching career that includes many stops. While he was credited with revitalizing the Kings’ offense and installing balance between De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, his time in Golden State was highlighted by being the defensive coordinator for a championship team.
In New York, Brown can employ similar methods to bring more balance to an offense centered around his new All-Star guard and big man, Brunson and Towns.
The dynamic is much different, but New York did run into issues with the ball sticking, and offensive stagnancy was one of the many factors that contributed to the team’s downfall.
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All-access looks into Brown’s methods with the Kings showed that he kept things light but was also very demanding of the team. Some of his last pressers as Sacramento’s head coach included callouts of stars and demands for accountability.
As for the New York spotlight, Brown has coached LeBron James, and he has coached in Los Angeles. Nothing compares to coaching in New York City, but each of those examples at least prepared him.
Here’s a year-by-year look at notable rankings and figures for Brown’s teams over each season of his coaching career.
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| Season | Team | OFFRTG | DEFRTG | Record |
| 2005-06 | Cavaliers | 106.6 (9th) | 104.4 (15th) | 50-32 |
| 2006-07 | Cavaliers | 104.4 (16th) | 100.6 (4th) | 50-32 |
| 2007-08 | Cavaliers | 104.8 (20th) | 105.4 (11th) | 45-37 |
| 2008-09 | Cavaliers | 111.2 (4th) | 101.6 (2nd) | 66-16 |
| 2009-10 | Cavaliers | 110.6 (5th) | 103.8 (8th) | 61-21 |
| 2011-12 | Lakers | 104.5 (10th) | 103.2 (12th) | 41-25 |
| 2012-13 | Lakers* | 105.4 (6th) | 106.5 (25th) | 1-4 |
| 2013-14 | Cavaliers | 103.5 (22nd) | 107.0 (20th) | 33-49 |
| 2022-23 | Kings | 118.6 (1st) | 116.0 (24th) | 48-34 |
| 2023-24 | Kings | 116.2 (13th) | 114.4 (14th) | 46-36 |
| 2024-25 | Kings* | 114.4 (8th) | 112.9 (16th) | 13-18 |
*Numbers at the time of Brown’s firing
Sacramento’s torrid offense reached historic levels in 2022-23, but its defense was its downfall. The next year, the Kings’ offense took a slight step back and other NBA offenses surpassed them but the defense slightly stepped up.
Before his firing at the end of December 2024, Brown commanded more attention to detail from his team, but to no avail. After dismissing Brown, the Kings posted a 27-24 record under head coach Doug Christie.
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