Report: David Fizdale emerges as frontrunner to land Knicks job

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By Tariq Saleh

Published May 3, 2018

After interviewing a host of names, New York look to have finally chosen their man

After interviewing a host of names for their head coaching position, the New York Knicks are finally close to choosing their preferred candidate.According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale has emerged as the leading contender for the job.Charania reports that Fizdale has gained serious traction as a frontrunner in the Knicks’ search to become the franchise’s next head coach.General manager Scott Perry and president Steve Mills interviewed over 10 candidates for the position including Mike Budenholzer, Mark Jackson and David Blatt.But after an exhaustive list of names, Fizdale appears to be at the head of the queue but no agreement has been reached yet between the two parties.The 43-year-old was a leading candidate for the role after the firing of Jeff Hornacek last month but the Knicks management wanted to carry out its due diligence and conduct several interviews before making a final decision.Fizdale was harshly fired by the Grizzlies early in the season even though they were on a horrible losing run.But with several injuries to contend with, which included key point guard Mike Conley, it was a difficult task to get wins on the board.In his first season in charge, he led the team to the playoffs with a 43-39 record.Ultimately, a breakdown in his relationship with star player Marc Gasol signalled the end of his time in Memphis as the front office chose to side with the Spaniard.Fizdale, however, has a reputation for generally building strong player relationships and was part of two championship-winning teams with the Miami Heat.His firing from the Grizzlies hasn't put teams off as he's one of the most sought-after names on the market.As well as interviewing with New York, he's held discussions with the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets.But it now appears that the Knicks are hoping to move quickly to get his signature and tie him down as their next head coach.According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, they are widely expected to make a hire as early as this week so an announcement could be due in the coming days.