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New York Knicks Announce Coaching Staff Additions

NEW YORK, NY (September 4, 2020) – The New York Knicks announced today several additions to head coach Tom Thibodeau’s staff. Johnnie Bryant has been named associate head coach and Mike Woodson and Andy Greer have been named assistant coaches. In addition, Daisuke Yoshimoto has been named assistant to head coach. They join recently hired assistant coach Kenny Payne. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“With these hires, we have added a wealth of basketball experience and knowledge that will be of great service to our players and our organization. All of our coaches have had a high level of success in college, the NBA or internationally,” said Tom Thibodeau, head coach, New York Knicks. “We are assembling a hard-working and well-rounded coaching staff that will embody everything we want to be about: accountability, development, teaching and a winning culture.”

Bryant, 35, has been with the Utah Jazz since 2012, serving as an assistant coach for six seasons after two seasons as a player development assistant. Previously, he ran the Bryant Sports Academy for three years, which helped develop the skills of NBA players such as Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles. He played college basketball at the University of Utah, leaving the school as the 20th all-time leading scorer and the leader in three-point field goal percentage (.440). Following his college career, he went on to play professionally overseas in Germany.

Woodson, 62, returns to the Knicks organization where he spent parts of three seasons as head coach (2012-14) and one full season as an assistant coach (2011-12). He has the third best winning percentage (.580) and seventh most victories (109-79) by a head coach in franchise history. In 2012-13, he led the franchise to a 54-28 record and the franchise’s first Atlantic Division title since the 1993-94 season. The 54 wins were the most by any Knicks team since the 1996-97 season and that team made the franchise’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals since 2000.

He most recently served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers (2014-18). Prior to New York, he guided Atlanta as their head coach for six seasons (2004-10), compiling a 206-286 (.419) record. He led the Hawks to the NBA Playoffs in each of his last three seasons, ending Atlanta’s eight-year Playoff drought in 2007-08. Before joining the Hawks, Woodson served as an assistant coach for Detroit for one season (2003-04), where he secured an NBA Championship as one of their lead defensive minds. Previously, Woodson spent time as an assistant coach with Milwaukee (1996-99), Cleveland (1999-01) and Philadelphia (2001-03). He was originally selected by the New York Knicks 16th overall in the 1980 NBA draft and spent 11-years in the NBA.

Greer, 58, returns to the Knicks after having spent two seasons with the team as an assistant coach and scout from 2001-03. Most recently, he was with USA Basketball as an assistant coach for the February 2020 AmeriCup Qualifying Team. He originally joined USA Basketball serving as a scout for Gregg Popovich and the 2019 USA World Cup Team. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach with Minnesota (2016-18), one season with Toronto (2015-16) and five seasons (2010-15) with Chicago. He worked under Tom Thibodeau in both Minnesota and Chicago. With the Timberwolves, he helped to end a 13-year playoff drought in 2018, winning 47 games, which was the team’s largest win total since the 2003-04 season. In Chicago, Thibodeau and Greer led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA in back-to-back seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12), and to five consecutive trips to the postseason, including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010-11.

Before joining the NBA, the Brockport alum had an extensive collegiate coaching resume, spanning 18-years. He coached at Northern Illinois University (1997-2001), the United States Merchant Marine Academy (1993-97), Mansfield University (1985-87), Brandeis University (1987-89), Boston University (1989-90), the University of Southern California (1990-93) and Genesee Community College (1983).

Yoshimoto joins the Knicks after working for the University of Georgia as director of strategy and video. Previously, he worked for Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota for three seasons as Special Assistant to the President of Basketball Operations. He joined the Timberwolves in 2016 after working in the video departments in Chicago, Denver and New Jersey.

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