Buried in this Daily News story about Mike Woodson's hiring (which will probably be announced this week, but there's really no rush) is a note about Greg Brittenham, the friend responsible for keeping our Knicks' good and stretchy:
Meantime, long-time strength coach Greg Brittenham will not be returning to the club. Brittenham, who spent 20 years with the organization, was originally hired by Pat Riley and earned a reputation as one of the best in the business. At one point, he was given the title of assistant coach but after D'Antoni became head coach, Brittenham was named director of team conditioning.
So, it was probably disingenuous to use "coach" in the headline, but I suppose it doesn't matter now. Perhaps you weren't aware of Brittenham's presence, but I'm certain you'd recognize him as the fit little bald dude folding various Knicks in half before each game. I actually got to see this guy work at a few training camps, and he's both a really creative conditioner (customized protein shakes, some truly bizarre drills) and a cool guy to be around. One hopes that he left on amicable terms, that he continues a pleasant and fortuitous career, and that the Knicks find some equally qualified to replace him. Need somebody to keep them ligaments right. And somebody to get lifted with, too! Right, Renaldo?
Wouldn't it be great if THIS was the vacancy Woodson was hired to fill?