Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson says he thinks Larry Brown is a great hire for SMU, which will join the Big East in 2013.
“I say congratulations,” Woodson said Wednesday when informed that Brown had reportedly accepted the SMU job.
“He’s a great coach,” added Woodson, who worked under Brown in Philadelphia and Detroit and also followed him in the list of Knicks coaches. “He’s won at every level. He knows what it takes to win in college.”
SMU would be Brown’s 13th coaching stop. If Brown, 71, stays more than one year at SMU, he will be around when the school joins the Big East.
He would then join an impressive roster of league coaches that will lose Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Jamie Dixon of Pitt, but would retain Jim Calhoun of UConn, Rick Pitino of Louisville, John Thompson III of Georgetown, Jay Wright of Villanova and others.
“I’d like to coach or be involved in basketball in some capacity,” Brown told NBA TV on Saturday. “I feel like I have something to offer. I certainly would be interested in SMU.”
Brown is the only coach to win an NCAA title (Kansas in 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit Pistons in 2004). He hasn’t coached since leaving the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010-11.
ESPN.com reported that Brown offered spots to Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich, Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard and Kentucky assistant Rod Strickland.
Alex Kline reported that both Brian Bernardi and Blaise Mbargorba will remain committed to SMU after the coaching change.
