Despite getting a head coaching job with his former team, Scott Skiles has decided one year was enough before stepping down from the club. It now leaves the Magic with an unexpected vacancy, which shocked several players, to say the least – Evan Fournier especially. There was no buzz about Skiles and the Magic parting ways, despite what Skiles called a “frustrating” season during his end-of-season press conference.
Advertisement
“I sincerely apologize for any unintended consequences that may adversely affect anyone associated with this decision”.
The team had 10 more victories than the previous year, winning 35 games this past season.
Obviously, there must have been a massive disconnect and power struggle between Skiles and Magic GM Rob Hennigan, who said he held a seven-hour talk in Skiles’ suburban Orlando home before he hired him last May. During his 14 seasons as a head coach, Skiles’ teams have reached the National Basketball Association playoffs six times.
Hennigan praised Skiles for “instilling a culture of accountability” during his year in charge. The Magic are a world-class organization that employs world-class people. However, a 2-15 stretch in January and early February sent the Magic into a tailspin that the franchise couldn’t shake out of the rest of the way. Skiles was the NBA’s East coach of the month, and the Magic were squarely in the playoff hunt. Orlando fell way short of that, going 35-47 and finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Magic are one of just five teams in the National Basketball Association to make season-over-season improvements each of the last three years.
Orlando will begin its coaching search after several big-name candidates – Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, Luke Walton and Dave Joerger – have already been taken off the market.
Skiles has an overall National Basketball Association record of 478-480 (.499) as head coach with Phoenix, Chicago, Milwaukee and Orlando.
Advertisement
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic.
