Orlando Magic Head Coach Search: Latest Rumors and Speculation on Position
Owning one of the NBA's worst records despite boasting a roster of good young talent, the Orlando Magic will attempt to find the right head coach to lead them into the future after firing Jacque Vaughn.
Interim head coach James Borrego reportedly has been given the reigns for the remainder of the season.
Continue for updates.
Brian Shaw Interested in Magic Job
Friday, March 6
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reported that former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw is interested in the Magic head coaching job:
"Brian Shaw played in Orlando and now he relishes the chance to return as the Magic's head coach.
A person close to Shaw told the Orlando Sentinel that the former Magic guard would "absolutely" be “very interested" if or when the job opens.
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Borrego Reportedly Named Coach For Rest of Season
Tuesday, Feb. 17
John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reported that Borrego will remain as the Magic's coach until the end of the season.
Denton also weighed in on Borrego's impact with the franchise:
Magic Begin Head Coaching Search After Firing Jacque Vaughn
Thursday, Feb. 5
The team announced the firing of Jacque Vaughn on Thursday, with assistant James Borrego taking over on an interim basis. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, one candidate the Magic seem to have their eye on as a permanent replacement is Scott Skiles.
Wojnarowski reported the head coach search remains wide open, as the team has made no contact with coaches or representatives at this time.
Wojnarowski also reported that Orlando could name a permanent head coach during the All-Star break, which begins on February 11.
At the time of Vaughn's firing, the Magic were 15-37 and lost 10 straight games. Even with the league's fourth-youngest roster at the start of this season, per NBA.com, a coach's leash isn't going to be long with that kind of record.
Skiles does have 13 years of head coaching experience with a 443-433 record and six playoff appearances under his belt, per Basketball-Reference.com. He also has a history with the Magic franchise, having spent five years there as a player from 1989 to 1994.
Whoever the Magic choose to be their next coach, player development figures to be a huge requirement. Nikola Vucevic looks like a star at center. Victor Oladipo continues to grow into a solid 2-guard. Rookies Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon are two critical players for the team's future.
Being able to maximize the talent of those four players specifically will determine how quickly the Magic become relevant in the Eastern Conference again.
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