Donnie Walsh spent nearly 30 minutes on the phone this afternoon spoiling the beat writers with updates on the search for a new coach.

I could get used to living this life.

While the exiled former president of this organization stood up and responded to some difficult questions the last couple of seasons, he was impossible to get on the phone when the season ended.

Anyway, there’s no breaking news to report.

Walsh did not label Mark Jackson the leading candidate, but he does want to speak with the former Knicks rookie of the year about taking over. There was no indication when that might happen, although it seems conceivable Walsh and Jackson could get together in the coming days.

There was a conversation with Scott Skiles last Friday, and Walsh immediately sensed he was too late.

“I just couldn’t rush into it that fast,” Walsh said. “I could tell he had an offer he was fairly close to taking, and I couldn’t react as fast as I perhaps had to because of the position he was in with Milwaukee.”

He got Jeff Van Gundy on the phone yesterday to clear up published reports of a flippant reaction when the last successful Knicks coach was mentioned among the potential candidates last week during a conference call with reporters.

“I started reading that my hand went up in circles and I don’t know what other description to give it,” Walsh said. “So I called Jeff Van Gundy and talked to him about that,” Walsh added. “He told me he’s not a candidate right now for his own personal reasons. … I have nothing but respect for Jeff Van Gundy.”

Reading between the lines, it seems Walsh is going to seek permission from Boston to speak with Tom Thibodeau.

“I’m putting together a list of people I’d like to talk to, and I’ve talked to quite a few people … about the candidates,” Walsh said. “And there some guys that I probably will call up their franchises and ask to see if I can get permission. Normally when teams are in the playoffs, they are hesitant to do that, so I haven’t really pushed, but I will because it seems there’s an indication they would do that.”

Celtics coach Doc River will allow Thibodeau to interview when there’s ample time between games. The former Van Gundy assistant will likely have to wait until at least Tuesday for a break in the postseason schedule. And that’s contingent upon Boston sweeping the Hawks.

Walsh doesn’t mind waiting if he’s not finding the right man for the job.

Unless there’s an obvious choice, he plans to keep an open mind until the fate of coaches who might be let go after the playoffs is decided.

“You’ve got to think about it unless you become really convinced there’s a guy who is suited for your team before all that happens,” Walsh said.

Is anybody getting anxious?

There doesn’t appear to be any reason to rush through interviews and get a coach in place. Scott Skiles has a job now. Jeff Van Gundy likes being a bald talking head. Rick Carlisle isn’t on the radar.

It’s going to be a thorough process.

Donnie Walsh is making the most important hire of his career. The next coach of the Knicks has to make a positive impact or the organization will become a tired joke. Speaking of which, did you happen to see David Letterman’s Top 10 List on Friday? 

I guess the question is, should the decision be put on hold?

Mark Jackson and Tom Thibodeau are both candidates many in this league believe will find success when they do get an opportunity. There is a chance, however, that a couple of playoff upsets might increase the level of coaching talent available. 

Does anybody like Avery Johnson or Flip Saunders? How about Eddie Jordan or Sam Mitchell?

Of course, there is a chance all of them will retain their jobs. Walsh runs the risk of losing a viable coach if he sits around waiting for the postseason to play out.    

Donnie Walsh has indeed spoken with Herb Williams.

We don’t know yet whether it was a formal job interview or just a friendly postmortem all of the assistants will take part in this week. Probably both. And the Knicks actually confimed the conversation, which is a hopeful sign of change. 

And there’s a 5 p.m. news conference … in Milwaukee.

Scott Skiles is taking over the Bucks, as expected. It was probably a smart move jumping in right away. Playoff upsets have a way of creating more job openings, so losing teams need to lock up the top candidates before a winning teams comes along with a job offer.

Williams ranks 23rd in franchise history with 17 coaching victories, which seems to be a concern to some readers. Ignore the record. He was an interim coach, and players don’t compete when they know another change is coming. We’ve seen that situation play out three years running.

Let’s put it this way …

I’m willing to bet a bucket of range balls the Knicks would’ve easily won more games over the last three seasons if Williams had been named head coach instead of Larry Brown. He’s impossible not to like, but Williams also has the ability to connect with verbal jabs when needed. The man is respected, which usually draws the proper response from players.

That’s not an endorsement, just an observation. Debate away.

Since the Knicks need to establish a new culture, I’m already lamenting the loss of Scott Skiles, who appears to be heading for Milwaukee.

I’m not playing favorites.

From dealing with Skiles in the past, I’m convinced he might’ve restored law and order. The stubborn head coach is not a fan of anyone who colors outside the lines. And his biting commentary is known to inspire simultaneous grimmaces and grins.

What does Eddy Curry need to do in order to become a better rebounder?

The answer still haunts the underachieving Knicks center, but Skiles demands accountability. It’s a foreign concept here. When a player goes AWOL, then shows up and plays 31 minutes, a dangerous precedent is set.

Some credibility needs to be established.

I’m not saying Mark Jackson or Tom Thibodeau or Herb Williams cannot walk into the gym and rattle some cages. None of them are grumpy enough by nature. They are all good at needling players into submission.

Whoever gets the job, though, needs to have a heavy hand.

If you’re not tuned in right now, Mark Jackson just called the possibility of coaching the Knicks intriguing.

He’s calling this afternoon’s the Phoenix-San Antonio game alongside Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen, so there was no way to avoid the subject. In order to make sure it wouldn’t be a distraction, the question was posed in a planned segment during the pregame show.

Jackson acknowledged having a great relationship with Donnie Walsh and complimented the franchise by calling it storied. He also picked up a telling endorsement.

“He’s the right guy at the right time for the New York Knicks,” Van Gundy said.

It doesn’t sound like he’s going to be moving back to Chappaqua any time soon.

Van Gundy is pretty close with Jackson and is willingly promoting his broadcast partner for the job here. There is something to him not being asked about his interest. It seems Van Gundy doesn’t want to get in the way, and I’m guessing he told Breen not to bother asking.

UPDATE (4:54 P.M.)

Jackson pretty much repeated his earlier comments when the subject was raised in game, and Van Gundy was brought into the conversation when Breen asked whether he might be willing to speak to Walsh.

“Man, he must be desperate,” Van Gundy quipped. “This is a one-horse race.”

Breen stuck with it, using a political reference to frame a question about whether he might consider serving as an assistant under Jackson.

“I’m actually better as a super delegate,” Van Gundy said.

Jackson also released a statement via ESPN:

“The New York Knicks are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports and I am honored Donnie Walsh has mentioned my name as a candidate. Coaching has always intrigued me.”

We already know that Donnie Walsh isn’t afraid to put an inexperienced coach on the sideline. He gave Larry Bird a shot with a talented veteran group. He gave Isiah Thomas a chance with an impressionable young team. Both of them found a way to win.

Finding the right personality is more important.

Walsh is looking to make the Knicks competitive while he positions the organization to make a free agent player in the summer of 2010, but he’s not a miracle worker. It’s unlikely a coaching mistake will eliminate this team from playoff contention next season.

There is room to grow here.

So there’s no reason to worry should Walsh decide to hire somebody like Mark Jackson or Herb Williams or Tom Thibodeau over somebody like Jeff Van Gundy or Scott Skiles or Rick Carlisle.

What do you think? Do you value experience? Do you want personality?

Lost in the anticlimactic firing of Isiah Thomas yesterday was the big coin flip victory.

In case you weren’t tuned in, the Knicks won a coin flip with the Clippers and immediately increased their odds in the NBA draft lottery. Don’t get too excited. Instead of a 7.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, they have a 7.6 percent chance of winning the right to decide between Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose.

Here are the numbers …

Miami (15-67) 25%
Seattle (20-62) 19.9%
Minnesota (22-60) 13.8%
Memphis (22-60 ) 13.7%
New York (23-59) 7.6%
L.A. Clippers (23-59) 7.5%
Milwaukee (26-56) 4.3%
Charlotte (32-50) 2.8%
Chicago (33-49) 1.7%
New Jersey (34-48) 1.1%
Indiana (36-46) .8%
Sacramento (38-44) .7%
Portland (41-41) .6%
Golden State (48-34) .5%

As for the draft order beyond the lottery …

15. Atlanta (To Phoenix)
16. Philadelphia
17. Toronto
18. Washington
19. Cleveland
20. Denver
21. Dallas (To New Jersey)
22. Orlando
23. Utah
24. Phoenix (To Seattle)
25. Houston
26. San Antonio
27. New Orleans
28. L.A. Lakers (To Memphis)
29. Detroit
30. Boston

Second Round

31. Miami (To Minnesota via Boston)
32. Seattle
33/34. Memphis (To Portland)
33/34. Minnesota Pick may be conveyed to Detroit.
35/36. L.A. Clippers
35/36. New York (To Portland)
37. Milwaukee
38. Charlotte
39. Chicago
40. New Jersey
41. Indiana
42. Sacramento
43. Portland (To Seattle via Boston)
44. Golden State
45. Atlanta (To Sacramento)
46. Philadelphia (To Utah)
47. Toronto (To San Antonio)
48. Washington
49. Cleveland (To Phoenix)
50. Denver (To Seattle)
51. Dallas
52. Orlando (To Miami)
53. Utah
54. Houston
55. Phoenix (To Portland via Indiana)
56. New Orleans (To Seattle via Houston)
57. San Antonio
58. L.A. Lakers
59. Detroit
60. Boston

(Teams with identical records will select in the second round in the reverse of the order in which they draft in the first round. Since the lottery results may change the first-round order, the second-round order cannot be determined until the Ping-Pong balls are done bouncing around on May 20 in Secaucus, N.J.)

There is always collateral damage when a coach is fired, but Donnie Walsh indicated tonight the turnover will be limited in the front office.

Glen Grunwald appears to be safe at this point.

“I don’t (anticipate more changes), not right now,” Walsh said. “I like Glen Grunwald. He has been working here all year. The next big moment for us is the draft and the people that have been here working on the draft are very important to us. They’ve been out scouting. They’re going to be here. I have confidence in Glen heading up that.”

And the assistants who served under Isiah Thomas?

Herb Williams gets to interview for head coach if he wants to pursue the job. The others will be put on hold until a hire is made. Most of them are under contract into the future.

“I’m going to have to deal with them next week,” Walsh said. “Obviously, if we choose a new head coach, usually they want their own coaching staff, but I certainly will present this staff to whoever has the job where they will be part of the mix of what he has to choose from.”

Mark Jackson appears to be the leading candidate, but he’s probably got some experienced competition. Jeff Van Gundy is available. Rick Carlisle is available. Scott Skiles is available.

Walsh talked a little about Jackson’s lack of time directing traffic from the sideline in a suit.

“You have to get a special person to do (coach in New York) and there are certain things I will look for when I talk to Mark that will signal to me whether he really understands what the challenge will be,” he said. “As far as the knowledge of the game, it doesn’t lie there. It’s more in the logistics of being a head coach … knowing how to start a team from Day 1 and go all the way on to the Finals of the NBA.”

Isiah Thomas ain’t dead yet.

Donnie Walsh essentially reassigned the embattled head coach this afternoon. Thomas will remain with the organization in an untitled role, which has to bruise the ego. He will be reporting directly to Walsh, a noted voice of reason who admitted it was time for a new direction.

“I can’t tell you where he failed with the club,” Walsh said. “The bottom line is we haven’t won and the team didn’t look like it was motivated to try to win and be competitive. So I think those are the reasons. They aren’t necessarily the fault of the head coach, but it has to lie there.”

Wow. Accountability.

“I value Isiah’s knowledge of the game and I value his opinion so I would use him as a resource,” Walsh said. “There will be nobody reporting to Isiah.”

We don’t know exactly how it’s going to work.

Thomas might do a little scouting, but it looks as though he will be nothing more than a sounding board while he collects the $18 million left on a ridiculous contract extension.

Walsh seems to believe some good will come of this and is hopeful the fans won’t be too upset by this decision.

“I feel like some of the bigger events that happened on the way with Isiah have overshadowed some of the good things done by Isiah,” he said. “I know from my standpoint, I’m glad to have a guy who I respect his opinion to bounce things off to help me bring this team back up to the level it should be.”

Knicks owner James Dolan apparently did not weigh in on this decision, either.

“He absolutely had no input on it, Walsh said. “It was totally my decision.”

As for replacements, the list hasn’t changed.

Walsh spoke of Mark Jackson and stated he would interview the former Knicks playmaker. He was also questioned about Herb Williams and Jeff Van Gundy, who might not be a favorite of Dolan after leaving a declining Knicks team several seasons ago. Nobody is certain that will have any bearing on this search.

“I never really talked to anybody about that,” Walsh said. “I don’t know what the past was here and nobody’s brought it to my attention.”

Questions? Comments?

It probably didn’t require a great deal of heavy thinking, but Donnie Walsh is going to let the world know the Knicks are moving on without Isiah Thomas during a 5 p.m. conference call.

From what I gather Thomas has another job in the organization, but the details will come soon enough.

Thomas leaves with a 56-108 record on the sidelines with a younger and more athletic team. Walsh can start calling around and speaking with Mark Jackson and Scott Skiles and Herb Williams. It’s going to be a competitive market, so getting ahead of the competition is very important.

More later.