Steve Clifford, the Knicks’ advance scout, has been contacted by Siena College about its head-coaching position vacated yesterday by Louis Orr.

Clifford, 39, hired by the Knicks over the summer, spent a year at the Albany-area school as an assistant in 1994-95.

Siena has yet to ask the Knicks for permission to interview Clifford, who was head coach at Adelphi for four seasons.

A confidant said Clifford is hesitant to get involved if Siena embarks on a protracted coaching search, but has serious interest in the job.

Clifford replaced Jeff Nix, now the assistant GM, as the Knicks’ advance scout and rarely is seen with the club. He currently is scouting potential first-round opponents for the Knicks, who likely will face either Charlotte, Toronto or Orlando.

Jeff Van Gundy, in the late 1980s, turned down a Siena assistant’s job when he was a grad assistant at Providence.