The Knicks have contacted Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse about head coach gig

The big news circulating the Interwebs Saturday was that the Knicks have already contacted beloved (by all) former head coach Jeff Van Gundy and beloved (by some) former point guard Mark Jackson regarding the open head coaching position. However, Van Gundy and Jackson are just two of several candidates who have been contacted, per Frank Isola.

According to a source close to the Knicks search, Van Gundy and Jackson join a growing list of head coaching candidates that the Knicks have officially reached out to. That list includes former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale, who revealed Friday that he will interview with the Knicks next week.

Jerry Stackhouse, the coach of Toronto’s G-League affiliate, has also been contacted and could have an interview date confirmed by Monday.

We already knew that Fizdale had been contacted, so Stackhouse rounds out the quartet of coaches who are definitely on the Knicks’ radar. Van Gundy and Jackson are going to garner most of the head lines in New York, of course.

The front office is smart to lock down interviews with Stackhouse and Fizdale posthaste, as both men have been linked to other franchises with coaching vacancies—Stackhouse with the Orlando Magic, Fizdale with the Phoenix Suns. I love Van Gundy as much as the next Knicks fan, but teams don’t appear to be beating down his door after 11 years away from coaching, which gives the Knicks more time. As for Jackson, I hope the front office ponders the fact that no other teams seem interested.

Let’s hire a good coach, friends!