Jeff Hornacek reportedly set to become the next Knicks coach

The New York Knicks have reportedly found their next head coach, and it's not someone with strong ties to team president Phil Jackson or the triangle offense.

As first reported by Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, the Knicks are nearing an agreement with Jeff Hornacek, most recently of the Phoenix Suns. Hornacek was fired by the Suns in early February following a terrible run of form and several public disagreements among players and the organization.

	Howard Beck @HowardBeck
Breaking: Knicks will hire Jeff Hornacek as head coach, per NBA source. 4:38 PM - 18 May 2016
Howard Beck @HowardBeck On Hornacek-Knicks: It's "as close as humanly possible," per source, tho not official. Deal is expected soon, barring any unforeseen snags. 4:52 PM - 18 May 2016

The New York Daily News and New York Post reported that negotiations between Hornacek and the Knicks were ongoing and a deal was not yet in place.

Knicks fans will likely welcome the news if only because Hornacek is not Kurt Rambis. The longtime Jackson disciple took over for the fired Derek Fisher in February and promptly began to build on his reputation as one of the worst head coaches in NBA history, playing veterans so many minutes that they complained about it and generally making a once-promising, if still bad, squad look like they were headed for a worse future. Reports circulated in April that Jackson wanted Rambis for the full-time gig, which rightfully terrified anyone who wanted to see the Knicks return to their place as one of the league's marquee franchises.

The jury is out on Hornacek, but he's certainly a better than the alternative. Known as a pace-happy offensive mind, Hornacek finished second in Coach of the Year voting in his first season in 2013-14 as the Suns nearly captured a playoff berth in the wildly competitive West despite expecting it to be a rebuilding season. The newly minted league darling then performed well below expectations in 2014-15 and 2015-16, although it's unclear if the fault rests with Hornacek or several acquisitions that disrupted team chemistry and frustrated key members of the surprise 2013-14 outfit.

We'll find out soon enough what Hornacek plans for the Knicks and whether the triangle offense will be a part of it. For now, though, the good news is that the worst-case scenario looks like it will not come to pass.