Jeff Van Gundy, claiming he no longer had the intensity necessary for the job, unexpectedly stepped down as coach of the New York Knicks today.
Van Gundy, who guided the Knicks to the 1999 National Basketball Association Finals, informed general manager Scott Layden of his decision Friday and made the announcement hours before the team was scheduled to host the Indiana Pacers tonight.
Assistant Don Chaney will coach the team Saturday, but the club has yet to name an interim coach for the rest of the season.
The Knicks started slowly this season, with just four wins in their first 11 games. But thanks in part to the return of Marcus Camby from the injured list, they have won five of their last six and are fourth in the Atlantic Division at 10-9.
"I didn't feel that I had the laser-like focus that I needed and what the team and the players deserved," said Van Gundy, who expressed his desire to spend more time with his family.
The 39-year-old Van Gundy ended a successful but often turbulent tenure in which he compiled a 248-172 record.