David Fizdale will be the next head coach of the Knicks.

A person with knowledge of the agreement, who was not authorized to discuss the deal publicly, confirmed on Thursday that Fizdale and the Knicks had agreed in principle on a deal. The decision was first reported by ESPN.

Fizdale replaces Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after leading the team for two seasons, going 31-51 and 29-53 for a combined record of 60-104.

Fizdale, 43, who was born in Los Angeles, spent the last several months doing broadcast work for ESPN. He was known for years as one of the league’s top assistants, including with the Heat during LeBron James’s years with Miami. He got his chance as a head coach when he was hired by the Memphis Grizzlies before the 2016-17 season with the endorsements of James and Dwyane Wade.

During the 2017 playoffs, Fizdale furthered his reputation as a players’ coach by standing up for guard Mike Conley in a rant about the officiating that included the memorable if nonsensical declarations, “They’re not gonna rook us,” and “Take that for data.” But after a first-round playoff loss in 2017, followed by a slow start to this season, he was dismissed in November amid reports of conflicts with the team’s star, Marc Gasol.