After six seasons and an 81-104 record, Saint Joseph’s coach Billy Lange has decided to step down from his post and pursue an opportunity to join Mike Brown’s staff with the New York Knicks, sources told CBS Sports. Brown was hired in July after Tom Thibodeau was fired following the best Knicks season in decades, which included a memorable run in the NBA Playoffs that ended with a loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The 53-year-old Lange is no stranger to the NBA grind. He spent eight years as a 76ers assistant, from 2011-19, before getting the St. Joe’s job in 2019. From 2004-11, Lange was the coach at Navy, where his teams combined to go 93-114 over seven seasons.
The Hawks never caught on under Lange, finishing sub-.500 in his first four seasons and failing to secure a top-four spot in the Atlantic 10 standings in any of his six campaigns. Last season, Saint Joe’s went 22-13 and lost in the first round of the NIT, which was its best run in Lange’s tenure.