Tom Thibodeau Thanks New York Fans After Being Fired by Knicks: ‘This Was My Dream Job’

Former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau offered a heartfelt farewell to the city after he was fired following the team's deep playoff run.

Just over a week after being let go, Thibodeau took out a full-page black-and-white ad in The New York Times on Wednesday to give his first public statement since his dismissal. In his message, Thibs thanked the fans, players, and coaches who supported him during his tenure.

“To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you,” the ad begins, above a photo of Thibodeau standing courtside at Madison Square Garden.

The 67-year-old reiterated that coaching the Knicks — the team he rooted for as a child — was his dream job. He first served as a former Knicks assistant under Jeff Van Gundy in the 1990s and was later hired as head coach in 2020 by current team president Leon Rose.

“And to the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one,” he wrote. “Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget.”

Under Thibodeau, the Knicks became a formidable Eastern Conference contender, posting consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since the mid-1990s. This season, the Knickerbockers stunned the defending champion Boston Celtics in the semifinals before falling to the Indiana Pacers in the franchise’s first conference finals appearance in 25 years. Thibodeau leaves as the fourth-winningest coach in team history.

In the club’s announcement, Rose emphasized the team’s commitment to winning a championship. Since Thibodeau’s departure, the Knicks have been in search of his replacement but have been turned down by multiple top candidates, including Jay Wright, Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, and Jason Kidd, whose current teams declined interview requests.