Billy Lange’s sudden departure from Saint Joseph’s to join the New York Knicks in early September caught college basketball off guard. The sixth-year coach left just weeks before the season to take a player development role on Mike Brown’s staff. The experts say the timing made perfect sense for both sides.

Why Did Billy Lange Leave Saint Joseph’s for the Knicks?

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish broke down Lange’s move during the network’s college basketball show, calling it an “escape route” for the coach.

“I think this is an escape hatch, an escape route. Billy Lange was unquestionably on the hot seat heading into this season,” an analyst explained during the broadcast.

The escape became necessary because Lange’s six-year tenure produced a harsh reality. Saint Joseph’s went 81-104 overall with zero NCAA Tournament appearances, making this past season’s fifth-place Atlantic 10 finish the program’s peak achievement under his leadership.

Lange delivered what should have been program-changing success: developing NBA-caliber talent like Rasheer Fleming, who was drafted 31st overall by Phoenix in 2025, and achieving consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time since 2003-04.

But even those milestones couldn’t get Saint Joseph’s into the NCAA Tournament.

“He was there six seasons at an 81 and 104 overall record, no NCAA tournament appearances, best finish was this past season, tied for fifth in the A10,” the expert noted.

They pointed out how individual talent hadn’t led to team wins. “He has had a few players that have been, you know, while at St. Joe’s projected to be potential NBA-level or near NBA-level type talents, and the results have not reflected that.”

They talked about the program’s broader struggles beyond just Lange’s tenure: “This is a program that has been adrift. This upcoming season of St. Joe’s doesn’t go to the tournament, it will mark 10 full years since St. Joseph had an NCAA tournament team, period.”

Rather than face that potential decade-long drought as head coach, Lange took the safer route. He joined Mike Brown’s staff with the New York Knicks as a player development assistant, returning to the NBA, where he spent seven years with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Steve Donahue, who was already on staff as associate head coach, immediately stepped into the void with a multi-year contract.

How Does Lange’s Move Compare to Greg McDermott’s Career Strategy?

The experts compared this to Greg McDermott’s calculated career decision when Creighton came calling while he coached Iowa State.

“When Greg McDermott was at Iowa State and the Creighton job opened, it was his if he wanted it. And I know people close to him were like, ‘Is the Creighton job better than the Iowa State job?’ In this moment? No, you would rather be the moment it was not,” they explained.

The logic became clear through job security concerns.

“If you could be the coach at Iowa State for the next 10 years or the coach at Creighton for the next 10 years, what would you rather be? Clearly, the coach at Iowa State, but the problem is, if you have a bad season at Iowa State next season, you are done and probably can’t get a job like even the Creighton job ever again,” they explained.

McDermott made the smart move, and it worked out better than expected.

Lange faced similar circumstances at Saint Joseph’s. “If you could be the coach at St. Joe’s and get it flipped and continue there for the next 10 years, maybe you’d like that over this, but that seemed unlikely at this point, so you parachute out, and thank God for the Knicks.”

The transition happened smoothly because Saint Joseph’s already had their replacement in-house. Steve Donahue was promoted from associate head coach to head coach with a multi-year deal, avoiding any interim period. After coaching at Penn for nine years, the 63-year-old brings extensive Philadelphia basketball experience.

Lange’s exit shows how college basketball coaches must carefully pick their timing. Instead of risking a firing after nearly ten years without an NCAA Tournament bid, he took the safer NBA job. Saint Joseph’s now gets a clean slate with an experienced coach who knows Philadelphia basketball and what the program needs.