NBA News Wire
Report: Woodson wants to know status before meeting
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson does not want to meet face-to-face with new team president Phil Jackson until he is informed whether or not he will be retained for next season, ESPN reported Friday.
“He just wants to know one way or the other,” ESPN’s source said.
Woodson reportedly would prefer that Jackson contact his agent if he is going to be fired.
The New York Daily News reported Thursday night that Jackson and Woodson were scheduled to talk over the phone Friday to plan a meeting or work out the terms of Woodson’s departure. The Daily News also reported that Woodson told the team’s management that he does not see a reason to meet with Jackson if he is going to be fired.
Jackson said at his introductory press conference in March, after meeting with Woodson, that he would be considered for the job next season.
Woodson said Wednesday, as a disappointing regular season came to a close, that he would like to return. Woodson has one year remaining on his contract worth $3.3 million.
Reports linked former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr, an NBA analyst for Turner Sports, and others with ties to Jackson as possible replacements for Woodson, who replaced coach Mike D’Antoni in an interim role in 2012 and guided the team to the playoffs last season.
Woodson, who would not comment Wednesday on any schedule for an exit interview or meeting with Jackson, believes he should still be the man for the job.
“I said this couple of weeks ago, I’m the only guy for this job and I don’t say that in a braggadocio way,” he said. “I’ve always said that. I feel good about what I do as a coach. I know the system works.”
The Knicks finished the season 37-45 and out of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
