NY Knicks Head Coach Jeff Hornacek Ousted

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks ousted Head Coach Jeff Hornacek on Thursday as the NBA team struggles through its 2018 season. Hornacek was "relieved of his head coaching duties" after less than two years at the helm, Knicks President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry announced.

"Jeff is a true professional who has worked tirelessly for this organization the last two seasons," Mills and Perry said in a joint statement. "We sincerely appreciate his efforts and considerable contributions to the team and wish him well in his future endeavors."

The Knicks also axed Assistant Head Coach Kurt Rambis, who had briefly served as interim head coach before Hornacek was hired in June 2016.

The firings mark another rough exit for Hornacek, whom the Knicks hired just months after the Phoenix Suns ousted him in 2016. Mills and Perry told Hornacek he was out after he returned to New York fresh off a Knicks victory in Cleveland over the Cavaliers, ESPN reported.

The Knicks have managed just 29 wins and 53 losses so far this season. The team's total record under Hornacek was 60-104, the sixth-worst in the NBA in that time period, according to ESPN.

Three former NBA coaches are among the candidates to replace Hornacek at the helm, ESPN reported — David Fizdale of the Memphis Grizzlies, David Blatt of the Cavaliers and Mark Jackson of the Golden State Warriors.

(Lead image: Former Knicks Head Coach Jeff Hornacek is seen at a game against the Phoenix Suns in January 2018. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)