had offered Houston more than $75 million. Houston retired due to injury after just four seasons and with over $40 million remaining on his contract. In 2003, Dolan hired Isiah Thomas as Team President of Basketball Operations and General Manager to replace embattled executive Scott Layden. Thomas made aggressive moves to re-tool and upgrade the Knicks' roster through trades, the NBA Draft, and free agency. Despite the talent Thomas imported, the team did not perform up to expectations and Thomas was often the target of the frustration of Knicks fans; Dolan was also on the receiving end of the ire of Knicks fans for his commitment to Thomas in spite of Thomas' sometimes questionable decisions. After the 2004–05 season, the Knicks signed head coach Larry Brown to a 5-year, $50 million contract. After just one (losing) season, Brown was fired and the team bought-out Brown's contract for $18 million. Brown walked away with a total of $28 million for coaching the Knicks for just one year. After firing Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas assumed the duties of head coach of the Knicks. During a staged interview on MSG Network, Dolan gave Thomas an ultimatum to show "evident progress" or potentially be fired. In the latter half of the 2006–07 season, with the Knicks within reach of a playoff spot, Dolan signed Thomas to a multi-year contract extension. The team subsequently fell out of contention and Dolan was castigated in many quarters for his extension of Thomas's contract. The next season, Dolan stripped Thomas of his front office duties because Thomas had taken the Knicks to the playoffs just once during his tenure. New team President Donnie Walsh removed Thomas as head coach upon the conclusion of the season. Other coaches that also had short-lived tenures as head coaches of the Knicks include Don Chaney (2001–2003) and Lenny Wilkens (2003–2005). Like Thomas and Brown, they remained on the Knicks' payroll following their departure from the bench due to multi-year contracts signed with the owner (and in Chaney's case, 2 separate contract extensions). In 2007, Dolan was named as a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit submitted by a former Knicks executive, Anucha Browne-Sanders. Browne-Sanders accused Dolan of firing her out of spite after she complained about sexual harassment from Isiah Thomas. The court ruled in favor of Brown-Sanders and Dolan had to pay $3 million of the $11 million settlement. MSG was