Knicks name Glen Grunwald general manager
New York Knicks senior vice president for basketball operations and general manager Glen Grunwald speaks at a press conference. (Dec. 12, 2011) Credit: AP
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Glen Grunwald helped assemble some of the pieces that earned the Knicks a second consecutive playoff berth, and that earned him a promotion.
Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan named Grunwald the Knicks' executive vice president and general manager Tuesday. Grunwald had been the Knicks' interim GM since replacing Donnie Walsh, who left after last season.
"Glen has done a terrific job this season," Dolan said in a statement. "He is an intelligent, seasoned executive and we look forward to him continuing in the role of general manager for many years to come."
Grunwald was responsible for acquiring Tyson Chandler in a sign-and-trade with Dallas in December. He has spearheaded the Knicks' much-improved defense and is a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Among the other moves Grunwald made were signing Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis and Steve Novak. Lin and Novak especially have played major roles in the Knicks' turnaround after they lost 15 of their first 23 games.
Grunwald's promotion could benefit interim coach Mike Woodson. They played together at Indiana University. Woodson has coached the Knicks to a 16-6 record since taking over for Mike D'Antoni on March 14.
The Knicks hired Grunwald on Sept. 6, 2006, as senior vice president. Before then, he spent seven seasons with the Raptors, including seven as GM.
"It has been a great honor to be a part of this storied franchise for the past six seasons," Grunwald said. "I would like to thank Mr. Dolan for this opportunity and look forward to building on our commitment to give our fans a team they can be proud of today, and in the future."
The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, MSG and Cablevision. Cablevision owns Newsday.
