Steve Kerr met with Phil Jackson Friday night for a few hours to discuss the vacant Knicks head-coaching position and the two spoke over the phone again on Saturday, he said prior to announcing Game 4 of the Nets-Raptors opening-round playoff series Sunday night at Barclays Center.
“I met with Phil Friday, we’ve had another couple of conversations since, obviously talking about the coaching job,” the 48-year-old TNT analyst and former Suns general manager said. “We’ll definitely have some more conversations. Beyond that, not going into much details about what we’ve talked about.”
Kerr, who played under Jackson with the Bulls, won three NBA titles in Chicago and is well-versed in the triangle offense, said the two will continue to be in contact. He declined to say whether an offer has been made or any other details pertaining to the position, but did say the two will talk further about the organization as a whole and the personnel he would be coaching.
“Those are things we’re talking about,” he said. “There’s just a lot to cover on both sides. He’s got to ask me a lot of questions, I got to ask him a lot. There’s a lot of research that goes into this. It’s a big job. It’s important on both sides that we make sure we cover all of our bases.
“If it’s something that feels like the right fit, it’s something I’m going to do.”
Kerr described the talks as “good.” The two had dinner in Manhattan Friday night and went unnoticed.
“We covered a lot of ground,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot to discuss with a job like this, on both ends, both sides. We’ll further the conversations. Meanwhile, I’m real busy with my own job. If that wasn’t the case, if I wasn’t flying around working this would be a little easier. But because of the schedule, my schedule, the way everything is sort of unfolding, we have to pick our spots.”
Kerr also said Jackson’s presence in New York means all the difference to him.
“It’s the only reason I’m talking to them, I wouldn’t have known anybody else in the Knicks’ organization,” Kerr said. “The fact that Phil took this job was the connection. Of course, he was my coach and I have a ton of respect for him. And I’m honored that he’s talking to me about the job.”
On Saturday, Kerr’s agent, former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, said Kerr has met with former Jets and Giants coach Bill Parcells, in addition to his former college coach, Arizona’s Lute Olson, and Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, all in an effort to be as prepared as possible to become an NBA head coach. He’s attended NBA training camps and went on a retreat with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and his staff.
“I’m just trying to pick a lot of people’s brains, people who have been in the position before, make sure I’m going in with as much knowledge as I can and as many ideas as I can,” he said. “I’ve known since I left Phoenix as a general manager that I wanted to get into coaching. I also knew that the mark against me is a lack of experience. I think the general managing experience was huge for me, but I haven’t had head-coaching experience. I’ve done everything possible to try to prepare [for it] short of being an assistant.
“I love the game. I love working players. It’s one of the reasons I’m broadcasting. I love being in the gym. When I was general manager, I loved being on the floor. Unfortunately, I was on the floor only 10 percent of the time.”