Monday, January 31, 2005

Associated Press
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Larry Brown wants to remain with the Detroit Pistons through the end of his coaching career, the Detroit Free Press reported Monday.

Speculation that Brown was thinking about leaving the Pistons at the end of the season and taking over the New York Knicks began Friday, when he was quoted in a New York newspaper as saying that the Knicks' job was one he had "dreamed about many times."

But Brown said there was more to it than that.

"I told him what I'm telling you," Brown told the Free Press. "Did I say it was my dream job? Yes, I told him it once was. But they passed me over twice. I grew up in New York. I talked to the guy about that. I talked to him about Red Holzman. ... I've never been smart enough to say 'no comment.'"

The Hall of Fame coach, who has three-plus years left on his $25 million, five-year contract, declined comment at Sunday's practice, but told the Free Press that coaching the Knicks is not in his future.

"Even if they offer me the job at the end of this season, I am not going to go coach the Knicks," Brown said.

The Pistons are 26-18 and second in the Central Division, a half-game behind Cleveland.

"I told the guy I'm going to coach in Detroit and this is going to be my last coaching job," Brown said. "My statement to him was I'm not coaching anywhere else, this is my last coaching job. My goal is to finish here and hang with my family."

Brown has been one of the more well-traveled coaches in history, with head coaching stints at Detroit, Philadelphia, Indiana, the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio, New Jersey, Denver (NBA and ABA) and Carolina of the ABA, UCLA and Kansas. He also coached the 2004 U.S. Olympic men's team

Brown has put up a winning record in 27 of his 31 seasons as a head coach at the professional or college level.

larry brown and phil jackson are really good coaches and probably the only coaches that the media will say, if the knicks continue to lose, would be DESPITE the coaching and not a result of it.

i think, if we're going to keep assembling young players, then a younger coach may be the way to go (eric musselman, nate mcmillan, etc.)