5 Knicks head coaching options after firing David Fizdale

3. Jeff Van Gundy

This remains a bit of a pipe dream, but you can hardly blame Knicks fans for wanting to go back to the good ol’ days. In their six full seasons under Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks won 34 playoff games. In the 18 years since he was let go in 2001, they’ve won 17 playoff games.

Van Gundy hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2007, so it’s anyone’s guess how he’d be able to adapt to the modern game. We’ve seen guys like Tom Thibodeau, who was also known for his gritty, defensive-minded approach, quickly fall out of favor with the league for being able to keep up with the NBA’s evolution.

However, JVG has been around the NBA this whole time as a broadcaster and a coach for Team USA Basketball, and the last time New York had a vacancy, it reached out to Van Gundy about a possible reunion. If the Knicks are going to go for a retread, this would be the one to try.