Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, replaces Tom Thibodeau, who was fired by the Knicks last month after guiding the franchise to its deepest playoff run in 25 years.
The 55-year-old Brown was surprisingly fired by the Sacramento Kings in December, just months after he had signed a contract extension.
Brown was most recently named Coach of the Year in the 2022-23 season after leading the Kings to a 48-34 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organization,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement.
“His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach, and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.”
Brown was also named Coach of the Year in 2009 after guiding the Cleveland Cavaliers to a league-best 66 wins, two years after reaching the NBA Finals.
He was on the coaching staff for the San Antonio Spurs team that won the 2003 NBA title, and the Golden State Warriors’ coaching staff for their 2017, 2018, and 2022 championships.
The Knicks are in a strong position in the Eastern Conference heading into the new season, with fellow title hopefuls the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers suffering huge Achilles injury blows to star men Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, respectively.
All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns proved a potent offensive duo in their first season together in New York as the team made the Eastern Conference Finals.
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