The Knicks have made the first hire of the Mike Brown coaching era, adding player development coach Riccardo Fois, reports Fred Katz of the Athletic (via Twitter). Katz notes that Fois is currently in Las Vegas with the Knicks as they watch their summer league squad compete.
The Knicks recently missed out on one of their top choices for Brown’s coaching staff, as it was reported that Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego would be remaining in New Orleans.
Fois spent last season as an assistant coach under Brown with the Kings. Before that, he was an assistant coach at the University of Arizona, after serving as the director of player development for the Suns from 2019-2021 and director of analytics at Gonzaga. Fois also has extensive international experience, having been an assistant for the Italian national team.
Fois’ time with the Suns, which included their 2021 run to the NBA Finals, gave him a good deal of experience with Mikal Bridges, who spoke about the coach when Fois left Phoenix.
“Riccardo is one of the most hard working people I know. All he cares about is getting people better and winning,” Bridges said in a 2021 statement from the University of Arizona. “The best thing about him is he’s an even greater person. He helped me a lot with developing my game and never letting me get too comfortable. I’m going to miss my guy and I wish him the best!”
Fois’s offensive creativity and familiarity with Brown’s coaching style will be key as the Knicks attempt to build a new system with a largely incumbent roster.