NEW YORK, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Claiming he no longer had the intensity necessary for the job, Jeff Van Gundy unexpectedly stepped down Saturday as coach of the New York Knicks.
Van Gundy, who guided the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals, informed general manager Scott Layden of his decision Friday and made the announcement Saturday, hours before the team hosted the Indiana Pacers.
Assistant Don Chaney coached the team Saturday night, but the Knicks did not name an interim coach for the rest of the season.
The Knicks started slowly this season, with just four wins in their first 11 games. But thanks in part to the return of Marcus Camby from the injured list, they had won five of their last six going into the Saturday night meeting with the Pacers.
"I didn't feel that I had the laser-like focus that I needed and what the team and the players deserved," said Van Gundy, who expressed a desire to spend more time with his family.
Van Gundy insisted he had not lost control of his team, but he ended practice 15 minutes early on Friday, upset with what he felt was a lack of effort.
"(I'm) totally surprised, basically in a state of shock when it happened," Knicks forward Kurt Thomas said. "No one really knows how to respond to something like this, so no one saw it coming."
"I think sometimes tough decisions don't come at the best time," Van Gundy said. "You know it's right in your heart. I thought it was best for all parties concerned. I did it with a great pull in my heart."
Van Gundy recommended that Chaney, who has head coaching experience with three NBA teams, be given the job.
"We are going to answer those questions in due time," Layden said. "We are surprised by Jeff's decision to leave the organization suddenly after 13 years. Jeff's coaching abilities, passion to succeed and tireless work ethic were responsible for much of the Knicks' success during his tenure. We are sorry to see him leave."
The 39-year-old Van Gundy ended a successful, but often turbulent tenure with a 248-172 regular-season record. The defensive-minded coach was known for his feisty attitude, even to the point of taking part in on-court altercations.
In a 1998 playoff game with the Miami Heat, Van Gundy raced from the bench and tried to hold back Miami's Alonzo Mourning during a fight. Van Gundy fell, clung to Mourning's leg and was dragged along the floor.
Last January, Van Gundy attempted to intercede during an altercation between Camby and San Antonio's Danny Ferry. Camby swung wildly and missed, banging heads with Van Gundy, who fell under the scorer's table, bleeding profusely.
"My legacy? I'm not a good peacemaker in big-man altercations," Van Gundy joked.
Van Gundy took over on March 8, 1996, replacing Don Nelson. He went 13-10 the rest of the season and the Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But he guided the team to a 57-25 record in his first full season and was 43-39 in his second as the Knicks lost to the Pacers in the conference semifinals.
The Knicks were 27-23 in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. Near the end of that regular season, general manager Ernie Grunfeld was re-assigned, taking the fall for the subpar play of the talented and retooled roster.
But the Knicks caught fire in the playoffs before losing to the
Spurs in the NBA Finals.
After the firing of Grunfeld, Dave Checketts, then president of Madison Square Garden, contacted Phil Jackson. Checketts made a public denial of his meeting with Jackson during the conference semifinals, only to apologize to Van Gundy after admitting he met with the former Bulls and current Los Angeles Lakers coach.
Layden replaced Grunfeld as general manager and Van Gundy was sometimes critical of him, calling the team "structurally flawed" prior to the 2000-2001 season.
The Knicks were eliminated by the Toronto Raptors in last spring's playoffs, marking the first time since 1991 that the team had been bounced in the first round.
"Minus some individual games, I'm proud of what we accomplished here," Van Gundy said.
Van Gundy had served as an assistant for the Knicks for 6 1/2 seasons, working under Stu Jackson, John MacLeod, Pat Riley and Nelson.
