New York is known for its headlines, and the pressure that comes from the constant news cycle often trickles down to its sports teams. Coaches don’t typically last long, and if they do, they have to have thick skin. Over the years, more than a few coaches have surprisingly been let go.
The Knicks’ firing of coach Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals certainly ranks among them. After years of futility, Thibodeau helped make the Knicks a perennial playoff team again — but the front office wanted to aim even higher.
New York has also seen its share of shocking resignations, from Bill Belichick after two days as Jets coach to Mike Keenan fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Rangers. Bill Parcells, Jeff Van Gundy and Jason Kidd are also among the big names who left New York voluntarily.
Other coaches and managers didn’t have the same choice. Here’s a look at the most shocking firings in New York sports history, from Tom Thibodeau to Joe Girardi.
MORE: Why the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau
9. John Tortorella, Rangers (2013)
The Rangers left fans with mixed reactions after firing coach John Tortorella in 2013, following three consecutive playoff appearances.
Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning, guided the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 2012 and reached the second round at the end of a lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, but the Rangers believed they could aim even higher.
New York hired Alain Vigneault, and Tortorella ironically became Vigneault’s replacement in Vancouver. While Vigneault never won a Stanley Cup with the Rangers, he did take the team to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season, quieting some of the confusion over Tortorella’s firing.
MORE: Why did the Flyers fire John Tortorella too?
8. Steve Nash, Nets (2022)
Reports surfaced after the 2021-22 season that Kevin Durant either wanted to be traded or Nets coach Steve Nash to be fired. When neither happened before the preseason, fences appeared to be mended in Brooklyn. That hope didn’t last long, as the Nets fired Nash following a 2-5 start.
The timing was stunning, as the Nets spent the offseason resisting the idea of firing Nash, and the move was made following a win. Brooklyn also appeared to be on a championship track with Nash in 2021 before injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden derailed their second round series against the Bucks. Even with Nash gone, the Nets traded both Irving and Durant days apart before the trade deadline.
MORE: Steve Nash one of just two Canadian players to win MVP
7. Davey Johnson, Mets (1990)
Davey Johnson guided the Mets to a World Series win in 1986 and was the winningest manager in baseball from 1984-1989, but New York let him go in the middle of the 1990 season amid a 20-22 start.
While many would have expected the Mets to be patient with a manager who never had a losing season and won at least 90 games in each of his first five years with the team, Johnson reportedly feuded with GM Frank Cashen, and Cashen won the power struggle after losing confidence in his manager.
Johnson went on to win division titles with the Reds, Orioles and Nationals.
MORE: Davey Jonson said ‘I always looked miserable when I was managing’
6. Pete Carroll, Jets (1994)
Pete Carroll’s first head coaching job at any level came with the Jets in 1994, but he lasted only one season. New York got out to a 6-5 start before dropping its final five games. Despite Carroll’s familiarity with the organization from his years as a defensive coordinator, 80-year-old owner Leon Hess made the decision “alone” to move on.
The move surprised many, as one-and-done head coaching stints were not as common in the NFL at the time, and the Jets went on to win just four games over the next two seasons combined. Carroll, meanwhile, thrived at USC and later with the Seahawks after a 27-21 head coaching stint with the Patriots.
MORE: Reactions to Tom Thibodeau’s firing
5. Carlos Beltran, Mets (2020)
Carlos Beltran was hired as manager of the Mets in 2019, just two years after retiring as a player, but he never managed a single game for the organization. Instead, the Mets parted ways with Beltran in January 2020 amid the fallout of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Red Sox manager Alex Cora had already lost their jobs earlier in the week for their involvement in the scandal. With Beltran the only player directly implicated in MLB’s report following its investigation into the matter, Beltran went from a promising young manager to out of a job within days.
The Mets branded the move as mutual, but a statement from COO Jeff Wilpon indicated it was a decision that came from the top. “This was not an easy decision. Considering the circumstances, it became clear to all parties that it was not in anyone’s best interest for Carlos to move forward as Manager of the New York Mets,” Wilpon said.
The Mets turned to Luis Rojas, who had been a quality control coach in 2019, to serve as their full-time manager, rather than launch a full search less than a month before spring training.
MORE: How Houston’s 2017 sign-stealing scheme shook up MLB
4. Billy Martin, Yankees (1978)
Billy Martin had five separate stints as Yankees manager under volatile owner George Steinbrenner, but his first — the only one that lasted longer than one season — ended with a surprise midseason exit just a year after winning the World Series.
Martin, who had a reputation for a short temper and made headlines with his off-field party life, brought Steinbrenner closer to a decision when he feuded with Reggie Jackson throughout the middle of the 1978 season. Martin pressed for Jackson to be suspended for not following in-game instructions, and Jackson hit back at Martin in conversations with the media.
After learning from a legal advisor that Steinbrenner was planning to fire him for cause, Martin resigned to ensure the Yankees still had to pay out his contract. New York was 52-42 at the time of Martin’s exit, and he returned to manage the team four more times despite calling Steinbrenner a “liar.”
MORE: Revisiting when Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin clashed at Fenway
3. Yogi Berra, Yankees (1985)
No move by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was truly shocking because he earned a reputation for constant change during the 1970s and 1980s, but his firing of Yogi Berra just 16 games into the 1985 season created a rift that lasted more than a decade.
Berra was promised by Steinbrenner that he would be allowed to manage the full 1985 season after winning 87 games in 1984, but a 6-10 start led Steinbrenner to change his mind. Players were emotional upon hearing the news, and Berra later said he didn’t even hear about his own firing from Steinbrenner himself.
The Yankees brought back Billy Martin and won 97 games, but they missed the four-team postseason by failing to win the AL East. Berra, meanwhile, vowed not to return to Yankee Stadium and stuck to that vow until he mended fences with Steinbrenner.
MORE: The eccentric Yogi Berra was an American institution
2. Tom Thibodeau, Knicks (2025)
The Knicks fired Thibodeau in 2025 after five seasons and four playoff appearances.
On the surface, Thibodeau had a strong tenure in New York. He guided the Knicks to four winning seasons and won a playoff series in three of them, reaching the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. With the context of the Knicks’ struggles in the two decades leading up to his hiring, Thibodeau’s stint was even more impressive.
Still, the Knicks shocked the basketball world by dismissing Thibodeau days after being eliminated from the playoffs, setting their sights on a championship with a high-risk move.
MORE: How Tom Thibodeau’s reliance on starters led to Knicks firing
1. Joe Girardi, Yankees (2017)
2017 was supposed to be a transitional year for the Yankees, who made the rare decision to sell pieces at the trade deadline a season earlier, but the faster-than-expected progression of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino accelerated New York’s timeline to contend. The Yankees made it all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Astros before losing the final two games to the eventual champions.
Despite having a World Series win to his name and overperforming in 2017, Girardi was let go by the Yankees following their elimination. GM Brian Cashman cited concerns about Girardi’s communication with younger players as the primary reason for the move and went a much different direction by hiring Aaron Boone, who lacked coaching experience but could relate better to younger players.
MORE: Joe Girardi couldn’t perform miracles as Phillies manager
