As the New York Knicks search for their next head coach, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith mentioned Mark Jackson as a candidate the team should explore.
Stephen A. Smith Mentions Mark Jackson For Knicks Job
"I'm gonna always mention the name Mark Jackson…this man was responsible for building Golden State before Steve Kerr was brought in and took over and piggybacked off of that." – Stephen A. Smith on Knicks coaching search pic.twitter.com/XMo6306z77
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2025
The New York Knicks are looking for their next head coach after the firing of Tom Thibodeau last week.
Names being brought up for the coaching vacancy include Jason Kidd, Michael Malone, Mike Budenholzer, Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown, Johnnie Bryant, and James Borrego.
On Monday’s First Take, Smith suggested the Knicks should consider one of their former players as a candidate to become their next head coach.
“I’m gonna always mention Mark Jackson because he’s been away from the game for a decade as a coach,” Smith said on First Take via Awful Announcing. “This man was responsible for building Golden State before Steve Kerr was brought in and took over and piggybacked off of that and ascended to four championships, no doubt.”
Smith brought up Jackson’s history within the city as a reason to his candidacy to become the next Knicks’ head coach.
Jackson was born in Queens, played at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, and attended St. John’s.
Jackson then played his first five NBA seasons with the Knicks. After his coaching career, Jackson worked as one of ESPN’s top basketball color commentators, teaming with Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy to form the network’s “A” team.
“He knows and feels and vibes with New York,” Smith said.
Despite Smith’s idea, there have been no reports from NBA insiders about the Knicks’ interest in Jackson as a head coach.
Mark Jackson’s History As A Head Coach
I'm seeing a lot of revisionist history about Mark Jackson's time as the Warriors' coach, namely that he "built" the Golden State teams that became a dynasty, most recently perpetuated by @stephenasmith.
So let's clear up the good and bad (hint: mostly bad!) of his tenure 🧵 pic.twitter.com/apGcFG9H9r
— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) June 9, 2025
Jackson has some experience as a head coach in the NBA.
The former point guard coached the Golden State Warriors for three seasons, from 2011 to 2014.
After missing the playoffs, Jackson and the Warriors made the postseason in consecutive seasons, highlighted by a trip to the conference semifinals during the 2013 playoffs.
Jackson was fired at the end of the 2014 season. Steve Kerr replaced Jackson and went on to win his first of four NBA championships the following season.
Jackson has not been a head coach in the NBA since his firing in Golden State. Jackson’s poor relationship with the organization has been cited as the predominant reason for his dismissal.
Jackson's relationships weren't just a problem of personal belief; he couldn't get along with others well. Joe Lacob opened up about this at a VC event in December 2014. The assistant coaching issues were quite public, but Mark couldn't get along with many people in the org pic.twitter.com/t1uNU0pCTF
— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) June 9, 2025
