Knicks' Mike Brown Shares Honest Tom Thibodeau Message originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks are coming off a season in which they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, though they were unable to make the NBA Finals after being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers.

The New York Knicks hired Mike Brown as their head coach. After Tom Thibodeau’s departure, the team desperately searched for someone to lead them to the title. Now, Brown is on his way to follow his duty.

“Nobody has bigger expectations, first of all, than I do,” Brown said. “My expectations are high. This is the Knicks. I talked about Madison Square Garden being iconic. I talked about our fans. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it. I’m looking forward to it.”

The Mike Brown era began on Tuesday with the Knicks’ new head coach laying out his expectations for the organization and emphasizing the importance of forming a partnership with team president Leon Rose.

ESPN's Shams Charania first reported Wednesday that the Knicks were set to hire Brown as the replacement for Tom Thibodeau. On Saturday, SNY's Ian Begley reported that Brown and the Knicks agreed to a four-year, $40 million deal.