Mike Woodson said he was “excited” about the possibility of getting a second chance to become a Knicks coach.
Woodson, who coached the Knicks for the two-plus season from 2012-14, is one of the many candidates whose team and new president Leon Rose has interviewed or will interview for the current head coaching vacancy. He is one of 11 known candidates, a list that includes former Timberwolves and Bulls coach Tim Thibodeau and former Nets head Kenny Atkinson.
62-year-old Woodson, who also coaches the Hawks, said he was happy to be considered trying again in New York.
“I just hope one day to get a chance to come back and I think this is an extraordinary opportunity now,” Woodson said as a guest Thursday on SiriusXM NBA Radio with hosts Eddie Johnson and Antonio Daniels. “I thank the Knicks for reaching out to me and putting me in position. That’s all you can ask for as a coach when you go out and start interviewing for these jobs. So I’m happy about that, I really am. “
While Woodson was the last coach to lead the Knicks to the playoffs – setting a 54-28 record and reaching the second round of the playoffs during the 2012-13 season – he said he was even more proud of his final year at Garden. The Knicks dealt with an early injury but recovered to finish 37-45, one match from the playoffs. He took the full blame for the initial struggle, but was happy with the club’s resilience.
“These people can easily stop and say, ‘Hey, let’s go home for the summer and get ready for next season’, but they don’t stop at me,” Woodson said. “For me from a coach’s perspective, hey it’s a good coaching job for me and my staff.”
Woodson said that if he returned to the Knicks, the team’s offense would look very similar to what his old forces carried out because “I think our style of play matches the way we play today” based on the 3-point amount tried. But one thing he will change is to delegate more to his staff.
“I pretty much run everything myself, keep trying,” Woodson said.
