Scott Skiles to Magic: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Orlando Magic announced the hiring of Scott Skiles as their new head coach Friday. He becomes the 12th person to hold the position in the franchise's history.

The team confirmed the deal on its official site. The release included comments from general manager Rob Hennigan about the choice.

"Scott (Skiles) clearly distinguished himself as a tremendous fit," Hennigan said. "Our young roster will benefit greatly from Scott's extensive head coaching experience and commitment to teaching smart, physical, unselfish basketball. We believe in Scott's ability to establish a culture of winning habits and accountability that will help guide our team in a positive direction."

Financial details weren't immediately released. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reported the length of the deal:

The Magic fired Jacque Vaughn in February after less than three seasons at the helm. He compiled a 58-158 (.269) record during that time. James Borrego filled in on an interim basis until the end of the regular season.

Now, Orlando is ready to move forward with Skiles.

The 51-year-old coach previously held the same position in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. He also spent a decade in the league as a point guard with five franchises, including the Magic.

He led his teams to the playoffs six times in 13 seasons with a 443-433 (.506) record. His most successful stop was a three-year stint with the Suns, when he went 116-79 (.595) and made the playoffs twice.

Wojnarowski previously reported the Magic liked Skiles because of his defensive pedigree, among other traits:

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Skiles, 51, has been the preferred choice of Orlando ownership, which has been fond of him since his playing days with the Magic in the 1990s. Skiles fits the candidate profile that [Rob] Hennigan privately outlined for the coaching search: a successful head-coaching résumé that includes strong emphasis on upgrading Orlando's defense and accountability.

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The veteran coach will take over a roster with promising talent in need of direction. Orlando has a young core, which includes Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Aaron Gordon, and it also owns the fifth overall pick in this year's draft.

Skiles' task is getting those players to start living up to their potential while playing as a cohesive unit. There have been glimpses of terrific play, especially from Oladipo and Vucevic, but rarely did the Magic put everything together as a team.

Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk isn't sure Skiles is the right choice given what the team needs, though:

The Magic weren't making enough progress in their rebuild, so it was hard to argue about making a coaching change. Whether Skiles is a choice who's going to get them over the hump is certainly up for debate.

The talent is there. Now it's time to start seeing some progress in Orlando, and the front office has decided Skiles can make it happen.