D'Antoni resigns as Knicks head coach

New York, NY – Mike D'Antoni is no longer the head coach of the New York Knicks.

The Knicks said the parting was a "mutual decision" between D'Antoni and Knicks owner James Dolan. Assistant coach Mike Woodson will take over as the interim coach.

D'Antoni "felt that it was best for the organization if he were not to continue [as head coach]," Dolan said in a press conference Wednesday evening. "He did offer to stay, but after a long discussion we decided it was best for the team if he did not continue in his role."

The reeling Knicks have lost six straight games to fall to 18-24 for the season and are currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for eighth in the Eastern Conference.

"Mike is a great coach and even better guy," Knicks interim general manager Glen Grunwald said. "But now we have to move forward. We're going to do everything we can to get this team back on track."

Woodson echoed that sentiment. "We have the opportunity to do something special here...I'm very excited to be the coach here and look forward to things to come."

Entering the lockout-shortened season, expectations were high in the Big Apple.

The Knicks signed forward Amare Stoudemire prior to the 2010 season and then obtained Carmelo Anthony before last year's trade deadline. The two star players helped New York reach the postseason for the first time in seven seasons.

But the 2011-12 campaign hasn't gone to plan.

After a slow start, it appeared as though the Knicks turned the season around in February with the emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin. He led New York to seven straight victories, while Anthony sat out five of those games due to a groin injury.

But the Knicks have gone just 2-8 since Anthony's return, leading to D'Antoni's resignation.

Grunwald insisted that D'Antoni's decision was not explicitly related to the star forward, saying, "Our whole team was not playing up to what we thought they could be."

D'Antoni was 121-167 in three-plus seasons in New York.

Prior to joining the Knicks, the 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year spent nearly five years in Phoenix, leading the Suns to a 253-136 mark and two conference final appearances.

D'Antoni also coached the Denver Nuggets in 1998-99 and amassed a 14-36 record.