Jacque Vaughn leading the list of probables for Orlando Magic head coaching job – NBA News
The Orlando Magic, after months of turmoil and controversy, are finally headed in the right direction with a new head coach expected to be announced in the coming days.
The Magic had fired Head Coach Stan Van Gundy at the end of last season, in an attempt to retain All Star Centre Dwight Howard. Their hunt for a new head coach has been exhaustive, but it entered the final stages when three candidates
were shortlisted by the team’s General Manager Rob Hennigan last week, with San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Jacque Vaughn tipped to be the front runner for the job.
Vaughn met with Magic President Alex Martins for a second round of interviews in Las Vegas on Friday. He was in Vegas with the San Antonio Spurs for the Summer League, while Martins was in town to attend an NBA Board of Governors
meeting. The Spurs excused Vaughn from coaching the team on Friday, but he was back to coach them against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Magic General Manager Hennigan interviewed six potential candidates, and shortlisted three for the second round of interviews. These include Michael Curry with the Philadelphia 76ers, Lindsey Hunter of the Phoenix Suns coaching
Staff and Vaughn of the Spurs.
Team President Martins will be interviewing the three short listed candidates before picking one or two candidates to meet with the owners of the team, the DeVos family.
Vaughn is being considered as the probable candidate to land the job in Orlando after Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw either withdrew himself from consideration. Michael Malone was also earlier told that he was no longer
in the running for the assignment.
Vaughn played for the Orlando Magic during the 2002-2003 NBA season, and has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Spurs. Last season saw a resurgence of the Spurs, who won 20 straight games stretching from
the regular season into the Western Conference Finals. They finished the regular season tied with the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the league, but eventually lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
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