Pick your top Knicks head coach of all time

[Luv those Knicks]

Since the votes were more yes than no, and because we don't have much else going on beyond the finals and any moves the team makes in hiring their next head coach, the timing feels good for a set of polls.

Rules are simple. Vote once. Pick who you think was the best coach. Poll will run for 48 hours. Votes can be changed anytime during those 48 hours if someone reads arguments and changes their mind.

I figure I'll run it maybe 7 or 8 deep, I just don't see 10 good coaches on the list, but maybe I'm being too harsh.

Feel free to nominate any coaches I may have overlooked. Polls only allow 10 entries.

List of Knicks head coaches:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_Knicks_head_coaches

Most wins:

Red Holzman: 466 (and 147 more his 2nd stint), 613
Joe Lapchick: 326
Jeff van Gundy: 248
Thibs: 226
Riley: 223
Hubie Brown: 142
Mike Dantoni: 121
Mike Woodson: 109
Rick Pitino: 90

Best winning percentage

Herb Williams 1.000 (he head-coached one game)
Pat Riley: .680
Red Holzman first stint: .595 (2nd time around was worse, Wiki chart separates them)
Jeff van Gundy: .590
Mike Woodson: .580
Don Nelson: .576
Joe Lapchick: .569
Thibs: .565
Neil Cohalan .550 (who?)
Rick Pitino: .549
Stu Jackson: .536
Willis Reed: .510


Notes:

I had a tough time picking a top 10 to vote for. If I missed anyone, feel free to nominate.

I want to add that I think GM is more important than coach. Team building counts more than coaching the team on the floor, but coaches generally get more attention, unless the GM really fumbles. The best coach in the world can't turn a bad team into a 50 game winner.

And, I want to add that, some of these guys were before my time. Joe Lapchick had a long run as coach. He was the 2nd Knicks coach, had a long run, about 8 years, made the playoffs every year and got the Knicks to the finals 3 times (lost all 3), but still a good run.

I don't know a thing about Mr. Lapchick, so I have a hard time knowing where to place him, but if any history buffs, or anyone who's about 100 years old (Wingo), wants to make a case for Joe, feel free.

I'll stop typing now.

[NYKinMIA]

it pains me to say it, but rat riley should have never been allowed to walk away.

[Luv those Knicks]

it pains me to say it, but rat riley should have never been allowed to walk away.

It's easy to dislike Riley now. He's working for the enemy and he's got a bit of that old man who yells at clouds factor working against him, but I agree with you. He was a great coach for us. He was a great coach for Ewing & Oakley.

As for the Riley vs Ernie Grunfeld . . . drama. Yeah, tough call. Ernie did get us Spree & Camby, so he wasn't bad. What if the Knicks had given Pat Riley the keys in 1995 to trade Ewing? That's such a head-spinner. I don't know what to think. But, you're absolutely right on Pat being a great coach when he was here. He got the most out of our guys. A lot of people thought it was ugly basketball, the no layup role and all that, but Riley won. He didn't win a title, but the team won a lot of games under him.

Riley's pretty high on my list. Not #1, but he's in the top 3 I think.

[ctorres]

I voted Woodson!

if play-ins had been a thing in 2013-14, we might have won the championship! The way the Knicks finished that year, they were a better team than the 2012-2013 squad and were ready to come for revenge against the Pacers

[Jeff Van Gully]

i wasn't around, but gotta pick the guy with the rings, right? also, when i think of our ideal identity of togetherness and toughness, i think of what i know from red's teams.

for my lifetime brain says pat the rat. heart says... you know... JVG.

probably thibs, woody, pitino in that order after that. only because i loved the bomb squad team. that was when i REALLY got active as a knicks fan.

[koogiking]

Voted Red Holzman because of the accomplishments even though it's before my generation

[NYKinMIA]

it pains me to say it, but rat riley should have never been allowed to walk away.

It's easy to dislike Riley now. He's working for the enemy and he's got a bit of that old man who yells at clouds factor working against him, but I agree with you. He was a great coach for us. He was a great coach for Ewing & Oakley.

As for the Riley vs Ernie Grunfeld . . . drama. Yeah, tough call. Ernie did get us Spree & Camby, so he wasn't bad. What if the Knicks had given Pat Riley the keys in 1995 to trade Ewing? That's such a head-spinner. I don't know what to think. But, you're absolutely right on Pat being a great coach when he was here. He got the most out of our guys. A lot of people thought it was ugly basketball, the no layup role and all that, but Riley won. He didn't win a title, but the team won a lot of games under him.

Riley's pretty high on my list. Not #1, but he's in the top 3 I think.

the thing about the rat is look at what he's gone on to do.

I can't stand him, and I'm surrounded down here by heatards, but the guy built something.

[Stannis]

I have to go with Holzman. Even though I never watched those Knicks at the time.

But he won 2 championships against a HoF Lakers squad (Wilt and Jerry West). And also won CotY.

I think a better discussion is who gets the 2nd, 3rd and 4th spot since it just seems like Holzman is the undisputed # 1.

If I have to pick the best coach of my lifetime, I gotta go with Thibs.

[8516knicks]

Where is Dave Fizdale?

[Luv those Knicks]

I have to go with Holzman. Even though I never watched those Knicks at the time.

But he won 2 championships against a HoF Lakers squad (Wilt and Jerry West). And also won CotY.

I think a better discussion is who gets the 2nd, 3rd and 4th spot since it just seems like Holzman is the undisputed # 1.

If I have to pick the best coach of my lifetime, I gotta go with Thibs.

Holzman won titles, but he's also credited with revolutionizing the game. Player rotations, offensive and defensive schemes, ball movement and unselfish play. He was an innovator.

Picking Holzman as the top head coach is like picking the 86 Mets as the best Mets team. It's almost a no-brainer. Who comes in at #2 will be more interesting, because there's no clear 2nd choice.

[spree8]

I dont know much at all about Red’s coaching style, but I guess he’s the most accomplished.

I voted Riley who is easily one of the greatest coaches of all time. Should’ve won a ring here to add to his LAL n MIA collection. Not his fault tho

[WaltFrazier]

Only one has a banner hanging in the rafters

[thebuzzardman]

Red
Pat
JVG
Thibs
Hubie
Pitino?

Obviously Lenny Wilkins a great coach but hard to judge the Isiah years

[G_K_F]

Holzman for winning our only titles but modern day it has to be Pat Riley.

Even with the terrible way it ended he was our most successful coach of the last 35 years.

[LookToShoot]

I went with JVG, he did less with more and his run was more memorable.

Riley and the Knicks should’ve taken care of the Rockets, then I’d put him #1.

[DOT]

Red Holzman has more wins than any other person has games coached, and he's the only one with championships

Respectfully, there's no contest. Riley is the better coach if we're looking at careers in their entirety, if we're just talking Knicks tenure, it's Red.

[stuporman]

It's hard to not like a Lapchick...

[nykballa2k4]

The correct answer is probably Red, but I am voting Thibs because he took a trash program and made it a winner.

[Barcs]

The correct answer is probably Red, but I am voting Thibs because he took a trash program and made it a winner.

Indeed. How many stars have been born on Thibs' watch? Julius Randle, Hartenstein, Donte, Brunson, to a lesser extent Josh Hart... These guys all came to the Knicks and Thibs got the best out of them. Even Mitch Robinson improved a ton despite battling 2 bad injuries.

Before any of these guys were signed, was anybody actually thinking these guys would light it up?

[nykballa2k4]

The correct answer is probably Red, but I am voting Thibs because he took a trash program and made it a winner.

Indeed. How many stars have been born on Thibs' watch? Julius Randle, Hartenstein, Donte, Brunson, to a lesser extent Josh Hart... These guys all came to the Knicks and Thibs got the best out of them. Even Mitch Robinson improved a ton despite battling 2 bad injuries.

Before any of these guys were signed, was anybody actually thinking these guys would light it up?

Aside from Bridges, everyone who he plays seems to have their best under him.