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RYE, N.Y. Rye resident Mike DAntoni resigned as head coach of the New York Knicks Wednesday, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports.
DAntoni and New York Knicks owner James Dolan met Wednesday and made the decision together, the report said.
It was a mutual decision to no longer coach the Knicks conflicting visions of the clubs future, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
DAntoni, known for his coaching system thats predicated on the fast break and run-and-gun style, reportedly has had issues with Carmelo Anthony, whom the Knicks acquired in a blockbuster trade last February. The coach could not get Anthony to buy into his system, according to the report on Yahoo! Sports.
The Knicks have lost six straight games to drop to 18-24 on the season and have fallen out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. DAntoni has drawn much of the ire of Knicks fans for the teams struggles.
Since moving to Rye in 2008, D'Antoni and his family have entrenched themselves in the greater Rye community. For the past three years around Thanksgiving Coach D'Antoni and his wife Laurel, along with other Knicks coaches and personnel, have partnered with the Carver Center in Port Chester to conduct a free basketball clinic for members of the High School's basketball teams in addition to distributing over 150 turkeys to members of the center's food pantry. D'Antoni's son Mike, a junior at Rye High School, played on the Garnets Varsity basketball team.
DAntoni took over as coach of the Knicks in May 2008. New York was 121-167 with DAntoni as the head coach.
Assistant coach Mike Woodson, former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, will take over as the interim head coach.
The Knicks held a press conference at Madison Square Garden at 6 p.m. Wednesday to formally announce the resignation. Woodson and senior vice president of basketball operations Glen Grunwald answered questions from the press for several minutes.
Grunwald said DAntonis decision came when he realized it was time to make a change.
I think he felt it was best for the organization. I think it was a selfless move, Grunwald said.
Woodson remained optimistic and said the Knicks can be a factor in the Eastern Conference.
We still have a grand opportunity to do something special here in New York, Woodson said.
Information from Yahoo! Sports was used in this report.
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