Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau Climbs the Ranks of Longest-Tenured NBA Coaches

It may not warrant a classic “Bang!” from Mike Breen, but Tom Thibodeau has quietly hit a major milestone with the New York Knicks.

Following Gregg Popovich’s departure from the San Antonio Spurs’ bench, Thibodeau now ranks as the third-longest tenured active head coach in his current role. Since his hiring in July 2020, only Erik Spoelstra (Miami, 2008) and Steve Kerr (Golden State, 2014) have held their positions longer. While technically tied with Billy Donovan, Tyronn Lue, and Mark Daigneault, Thibodeau was the first among them hired.

Under Thibodeau, the Knicks have steadily improved. He’s notched 226 regular season wins—eighth-most in the NBA during that span—and is one of just two coaches, along with Boston’s Joe Mazzulla, to win at least one playoff game in each of the past three seasons.

His longevity is rare for a modern Knicks coach. Thibodeau became the first since Jeff Van Gundy to reach a fifth season in New York, and earlier this year, he passed Pat Riley on the team’s all-time wins list, trailing only Van Gundy, Joe Lapchick, and Red Holzman.

Thibodeau also has the backing of his players. “He’s meant a lot to my career,” said Jalen Brunson, crediting Thibodeau’s preparation and leadership. Josh Hart echoed the sentiment, saying, “He’s had a bullseye on his back all season…that’s our coach. We’re going to back him 100 percent.”

Thibodeau’s rise up the coaching ranks coincides with Popovich moving into a front-office role after nearly 30 years, five championships, and a record 1,422 regular-season wins.