New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown says he is going to "embrace" the high expectations that come with his new job.

Brown was officially named as the new Knicks head coach on Monday, replacing Tom Thibodeau, who was sacked shortly after their loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks suffered a 4-2 series loss to the Pacers, with New York unable to make up for losing the first two games.

Brown has a 454-304 record over 11 seasons as a head coach, and is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, winning the most recent in 2022-23 with the Sacramento Kings.

The 55-year-old knows he is stepping into a role that has high demands, but he believes he is up to the challenge.

"There's a lot of work to do," Brown said, "but I'm looking forward to getting started.

"Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high. This is the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. It's iconic. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it."

ready to get to work pic.twitter.com/N5Zgo8h2kR
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 8, 2025

Brown led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance back in 2007, before leading them to an NBA-best 66-16 record two seasons later.

His most recent job with the Kings saw him guide Sacramento to the franchise's first postseason appearance in 17 years, but he was sacked last December following the team’s 13-18 start to the season.

Brown is a four-time NBA champion as an assistant coach and is looking for his first as the head coach of a team, something he will be looking for with the Knicks.

He believes that will come if he can build a trusting relationship with his players, something he is keen to start building.

"At the end of the day, it's about relationships," Brown added. "It's about trust.

"Once you grow those relationships, then you can talk openly about anything that you need to go in the direction you need to go.

"I'm going to be open and honest with them, and I'm sure they're going to be open and honest with me."