NEW YORK -- Mike Woodson had the Knicks on top of their division and in the second round of the playoffs, destinations that had become unreachable and practically unimaginable in New York. http://www.baseballindiansauthentic.com/mike-napoli-indians-jersey/ . A year later, he was out of job. Phil Jackson fired Woodson and the entire coaching staff on Monday, making his first big move since becoming team president in March and saying in a statement that "the time has come for change throughout the franchise." The dismissal comes shortly after the Knicks completed a 37-45 season that began with their belief they were a serious contender. Instead, they started poorly, making Woodsons job security practically a season-long distraction. A late surge wasnt good enough for a post-season spot or another year for Woodson. It was a stunningly swift fall for Woodson, whose .580 winning percentage with the Knicks ranks behind only Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, and who finished third in the NBAs Coach of the Year voting after going 54-28 last season. He and the staff were informed of the decision Monday morning by Jackson, the man the Knicks originally wanted to replace Woodson as coach but preferred to run the teams front office. Jackson has won an NBA-record 11 championships as a coach. He has repeatedly said hes not interested in returning to the bench, so he will have to hire someone before he turns his attention to the roster. The team said the coaching search begins immediately. Jackson said he has a "tremendous amount of respect" for Woodson and his staff, which included longtime Knicks assistant Herb Williams. Jackson called this an "extremely difficult" season and said "blame should not be put on one individual." "But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond," he added. Jackson has said he wont insist the Knicks run the triangle, the offensive system he used in Chicago and with the Lakers, but has made clear his belief in it. TNT analyst Steve Kerr, who played for Jackson with the Bulls but has never been a coach, has repeatedly been mentioned as a top candidate. Kerr said Monday during his SiriusXM NBA Radio show that he and Jackson have remained close and that he expected to speak with him at some point about the job. "Its going to be very interesting and obviously my name is being thrown around. I do anticipate at least being part of the conversation and well see where it all goes," Kerr said. Jackson is scheduled to speak with reporters on Wednesday. Woodson, a former Knicks first-round draft pick, was hired as an assistant coach before the 2011-12 season, then engineered an 18-6 finish after replacing Mike DAntoni on an interim basis the following March to capture a playoff spot. Given a multiyear deal two months later, Woodson then led the Knicks to their first Atlantic Division championship since 1994. New York then beat Boston in the playoffs, its first series victory since 2000, and general manager Steve Mills picked up next seasons option year on Woodsons contract before this season began. But the Knicks were saddled with some early injuries, including centre Tyson Chandlers broken leg, and lacked the veteran leadership they enjoyed last season. Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan was already considering replacing Woodson by December, when he met with Jackson at a holiday party and talked to him about coaching the team. Carmelo Anthony praised his coach Thursday and even offered to back him publicly if necessary. But it was probably a clear sign Woodson wouldnt be back a few minutes later when Amare Stoudemire said the coach hadnt taken part in the exit meetings with players that Jackson and Mills held. Woodson previously coached six seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, leading them to the playoffs in his final three seasons. He has a career record of 315-365. Woodson went 109-79 with the Knicks, who hadnt even made the playoffs since 2004 before he led them there in 2012. But he lost one of his biggest supporters within the organization when general manager Glen Grunwald, Woodsons college teammate at Indiana, was surprisingly fired last September. Players and fans sometimes grumbled during the season about Woodsons strategies as the defence regressed and the offence was inconsistent beyond Anthony, who plans to become a free agent in July. Chandler said there probably was some "disconnect" and "misunderstanding" at times. "Coach Woodson put together a game plan for us on the basketball court and there were times we didnt totally buy into it," Stoudemire said last week. Still, the Knicks nearly rallied to make the playoffs by winning 16 of their final 21 games. But Woodson, who said he and Jackson had only brief chats in Jacksons first month in charge, said before the season finale he knew the coach often takes the blame. "Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done," Jackson said. "We wish him the best."Ricky Vaughn Jersey . 1 Victoria Azarenka says shell miss clay-court tournaments at Madrid and Rome next month, putting into question whether shell enter the French Open. Abraham Almonte Jersey . A wide-eyed 18-year-old visiting North America for only the second time in his young life, Caboclo immediately noticed the "big tower" his new home is best known for.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Receiver Mike Williams acknowledged he has some growing up to do while addressing questions about his troubled past Monday. For Williams, theres no place better to start fresh than in his hometown of Buffalo. "Its like being drafted all over, especially to my hometown, and get to come back and play in front of the people that know me, where I came from," Williams said during a news conference three days after the Bills acquired him in a trade with Tampa Bay. "The people know what type of guy I am." Calling the homecoming "a dream come true," Williams returns to the place he was a high school star. He went on to a successful yet troubled career at Syracuse, where Williams abruptly quit the team in November 2009 during his junior season. This is the second — and potentially final — chance for Williams to put behind off-field distractions, which led to the Buccaneers parting ways with their starter in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. The deal was made a year after Williams signed a six-year, $40 million contract. The breaking point came two weeks ago, when Williams was allegedly stabbed in the leg by his brother, Eric Baylor, who has since turned himself in to police. Williams passed his physical in Buffalo and said the injury from the stabbing wont prevent him from reporting for voluntary team workouts, which begin April 22. Williams acknowledged making mistakes and vows to do better, saying there are people depending upon him, including his infant son. "When you get a lot of bad attention or bad this, or bad that, its about: Are you going to let the bad attack you? Are you going to fall?" Williams said. "Or are you going to get up and try again? Thats why I think a fresh start is needed." On the field, Williams has displayed the potential as a No. 1 receiver. A fourth-round draft pick iin 2010, Williams led NFL rookies with 65 catches for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jason Kipnis Blue Jersey. Though a hamstring injury limited Williams to just six games last year, he has 215 catches for 2,947 yards and 25 touchdowns in 54 career games. The Bills are in need of an experienced player to complement returning starter Stevie Johnson, who led an otherwise young group of receivers. Its off the field where questions have arisen. The Tampa Bay Times has reported that Williams neighbours in Tampa were unhappy with noise issues and damage to the players rented home. Without providing specifics, Williams said two of the numerous accusations were made up. When pressed on which two, Williams said the Bills requested that he not discuss it. In trading Williams, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht referred to the deal as something the team "felt was best for both sides." In Buffalo, coach Doug Marrone is willing to provide Williams the benefit of the doubt. Marrone was in his first season at Syracuse when Williams left the team. Marrone signed off on the trade by saying what happened at Syracuse "is in the past for both of us." Marrone went further by picking up Williams at the airport upon the players arrival in Buffalo. Williams said he and Marrone cleared the air by speaking on the phone before the trade was completed. "He made mistakes. I made mistakes," Williams said. "The situation wasnt handled how it was supposed to be handled. But the past is the past. So were kind of looking forward." Williams acknowledged that one of Marrones concerns at Syracuse was the player skipping classes. That wont be an issue now. "He didnt think I went to class. But since its the pros, he knows Im going to go out there and do my job on the field," Williams said. "Youre always going to get the great Mike on the field." 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