The New York Knicks have fired their head coach Derek Fisher, according to various reports.
One of the earliest reports came from ESPN which also mentioned that Kurt Rambis will fill in as the interim coach.
"The New York Knicks have fired coach Derek Fisher after a five-game losing streak left them 1-9 in their last 10 games," ESPN reported. "New York is 23-31 this season after going 17-65 in Fisher's first season. The current losing skid contributed to the timing of the move, but the team became convinced Fisher was not transitioning from the role of player to coach effectively, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst."
Fisher was chosen after Steve Kerr refused the job and decided to coach the Golden State Warriors instead, and eventually won the NBA championship in his first year.
Knicks President Phil Jackson chose Fisher as he has knowledge of the triangle offense. His first year had the Knicks finishing with the second worst record in the league.
The report also mentioned that assistant coach Kurt Rambis will now serve as interim coach. It is assumed that he would only finish the rest of the season and eventually be replaced in the summer.
They also named two other former Jackson players, Brian Shaw and Luke Walton as candidates for the full-time job. Shaw was a former head coach at Denver, while Walton is the interim coach that brought the Warriors to a record start this season, while Kerr was injured.
As for Rambis, NBC is not at all optimistic about his chances. "Rambis went 15-67 and 17-65 in an ugly two-year stint coaching the Timberwolves. He probably won't lift the 23-31 Knicks back into playoff contention this season," NBC stated.
