There is a new head coach for Knicks D-League affiliate team, the Erie BayHawks. But he hasn't been named yet. Allan Houston, whose role as Knicks' assistant GM includes serving as the general manager of the BayHawks, told the Erie Times-News that the team has made the hire, but he would not reveal the name.

Sports

Published: September 10, 2012 12:53 PM EST
Updated: September 10, 2012 12:53 PM EST

Knicks have hired replacement for Larranaga

By DUANE RANKIN, Erie Times-News
duane.rankin@timesnews.com

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Jay Larranaga confirmed this morning he'll be an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics after two seasons as the head coach of the Erie BayHawks.

"It's an opportunity to work for one of the most famous and most successful franchises in NBA history and to work for one of the best coaches in the world (in Doc Rivers)," said Larranaga, who was at the Erie Insurance Charity Challenge golf event today at the Kahkwa Club.

Larranaga, 37, said he's heading to Boston on Friday.

BayHawks general manager Allan Houston, who also participated in today's golf event, said he has agreed to a coach to replace Larranaga, but he declined to reveal who the new head coach is.

"There are a lot of procedures that we are in the middle of, but we have come down to our finalist," Houston said. "We're very happy. Very excited."

Houston, who is also the assistant general manager of the New York Knicks, did say Erie's new coach had coached in the D-League.

The Knicks and BayHawks are hybrid partners. New York runs the basketball operations of the BayHawks.

"I'm sure Erie (Erie majority owner Steve Demetriou and lead local investor Owen McCormick) and the Erie community will be very happy," Houston said. "I'm excited."

Houston also said Erie will retain Ben McDonald as an assistant. McDonald has been the assistant for the BayHawks in all their four years of existence.

Larranaga was back in Erie after working for former NBA head coach Mike Fratello as an assistant for the Ukrainian senior men's national team in the qualifying round for the 2013 European Championships this summer.

Ukraine qualified for the 2013 European Championships after finishing 6-2 in the qualifying round.

The son of Miami (Fla.) men's basketball head coach Jim Larranaga, Jay Larranaga compiled a 60-40 record with the BayHawks and led them to the D-League playoffs in each of his two seasons. Larranaga had a year left on his contract with Erie.

DUANE RANKIN can be reached at 878-2210 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/DuaneRankin

knickscity wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:Isola reporting that Ewing was offered the bay hawks job but turned it down.

Damn shame, pride must be one son of a bitch.

Its a pattern with Ewing. Can't say that I haven't been there, most of us have, but not to this degree. Might also be worried that if he gets exposed in the D-league that he won't stand a snowball's chance in hades of getting a gig in the NBA. Former NBA coaches with track records have done it, guess Patrick is too good for the job.

I think we can all agree he's better than Herb Williams

3G4G wrote:Can't blame "The Warrior" for turning down the gig. I probably would have too. I think he's been in the big boy league long enough as an assistant to receive a better offer than a D-League Sarg. Of course he'd like to be HC on a real team but he probably would accept a top lead assistant offer from any team too.

I think we can all agree he's better than Herb Williams

But seriously, Ewing hasn't earned anything as a coach yet.

I can't tell another grown man what to do, but I can say in my travels in life, you can't eat fried pride.

If Ewing was a pg, I'd bet he'd have a better shot.

big men always have to work harder.

knickscity wrote:

3G4G wrote:Can't blame "The Warrior" for turning down the gig. I probably would have too. I think he's been in the big boy league long enough as an assistant to receive a better offer than a D-League Sarg. Of course he'd like to be HC on a real team but he probably would accept a top lead assistant offer from any team too.

I think we can all agree he's better than Herb Williams

Comparing him to Herb is probably why he can't get a job.

But seriously, Ewing hasn't earned anything as a coach yet.

I can't tell another grown man what to do, but I can say in my travels in life, you can't eat fried pride.

If Ewing was a pg, I'd bet he'd have a better shot.

big men always have to work harder.

No his comparison to Herb is the absolute minimum but if you put him up against middle assistants in the league he stacks up fine.

You know who was Herb or barely/slightly better before they were a HC?

Monty Williams/Micheal Curry/Randy Whittman/Reggie Theus/Keith Smart/Johnny Davis/Jeff Vogel/VDN/Lawrence Frank/Larry Andrews/Ty Corbin/Sam Mitchell

Just to name a few in the past 5-10yrs

All these guys were assistants/scouts or near zero experience before they got their shot

Ewing has been under the tutelage of JVG and SVG for several yrs now. It's not about pride, it's about getting a job according to what your credentials say.

He deserves a legit shot based on trends in the league

knickscity wrote:

3G4G wrote:

knickscity wrote:

3G4G wrote:Can't blame "The Warrior" for turning down the gig. I probably would have too. I think he's been in the big boy league long enough as an assistant to receive a better offer than a D-League Sarg. Of course he'd like to be HC on a real team but he probably would accept a top lead assistant offer from any team too.

I think we can all agree he's better than Herb Williams

Comparing him to Herb is probably why he can't get a job.

But seriously, Ewing hasn't earned anything as a coach yet.

I can't tell another grown man what to do, but I can say in my travels in life, you can't eat fried pride.

If Ewing was a pg, I'd bet he'd have a better shot.

big men always have to work harder.

No his comparison to Herb is the absolute minimum but if you put him up against middle assistants in the league he stacks up fine.

You know who was Herb or barely/slightly better before they were a HC?

Monty Williams/Micheal Curry/Randy Whittman/Reggie Theus/Keith Smart/Johnny Davis/Jeff Vogel/VDN/Lawrence Frank/Larry Andrews/Ty Corbin/Sam Mitchell

Just to name a few in the past 5-10yrs

All these guys were assistants/scouts or near zero experience before they got their shot

Ewing has been under the tutelage of JVG and SVG for several yrs now. It's not about pride, it's about getting a job according to what your credentials say.

He deserves a legit shot based on trends in the league

Jeff's top assistant was Thibbs in Houston, not Ewing, and i believe Steve Clifford with Stan in Orlando as his top assistant.

Ewing sat on the bench, won't deny that, but paid dues? No such thing, and since he hasn't gotten a job I think the league agrees.

So it's better to be unemployed in your craft than take a temporary position that's the actual rank you're looking for?

None of those other guys I listed were top assistants either. At least not for any great length of time and most certainly not with a lot of team success in their roles. What didn't you get from that list?

A scout is not a top assistant. No coaching experience is not a top assistant

Ewing had a major hand in the Big Men development of Yao and Howard and defensive scheme under both coaches. When both teams ran their systems around their bigs who worked hand-in-hand with Ewing ummm I think he qualifies getting a shot looking at their success.

He's also worked with Doug Collins but this is what's going on

Pat

“It’s disappointing that I haven’t moved to the next step to getting a head coaching job, but all I can do is keep working hard and keep on preparing myself for whenever that opportunity arises. A lot of people try to pigeonhole me into just a big man’s coach and I’m just not a big man’s coach. I’m a coach.”

SVG

"To me, he's certainly got the resume and the profile that people should be talking to him," Van Gundy said in 2010. "He's spent his time as an assistant He's done everything you need to do to prepare yourself. I think he definitely deserves a chance."

Legit shot to show he's HC material or not..that's all he's asking for