Orlando Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn was reportedly just on the hot seat. Now after a 15 point loss last night to the Milwaukee Bucks and their 13th loss in 15 games, the former Greg Poppovich disciple’s ‘hot seat’ might just have burned him.
Following from Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Orlando Magic are close to firing coach Jacque Vaughn and a change could come soon, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
As embarrassing losses accumulate, Vaughn is rapidly running out of time to show the progress needed to make it through the next several days –never mind the fourth and final year of his contract in 2015-16, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
“It isn’t a matter of ‘if,’ anymore, but ‘when,’ ” a source close to the decision-making process told Yahoo Sports about Vaughn’s fading job security.
Vaughn will not be replaced before Orlando meets Dallas on Saturday at Amway Arena, but his job security beyond the start of the two-game trip to Oklahoma City and San Antonio beginning on Monday is uncertain, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
In fact, the lack of a natural candidate to promote to interim head coach from a young, inexperienced staff of assistants has played a part in Orlando management’s hesitancy to have already made a change, sources told Yahoo Sports.
In 3 seasons as the Head coach of the Orlando Magic Vaughn has gone 20-62, 23-59 and 15-33 respectively in the post-Dwight Howard/Stan Van Gundy era. The record might not show it but the entire process hasn’t been entirely a waste.
He’s overseen the progress of soon-to-be household names like Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic as well as the steady progression of a young star in the making, and future dunk contest competitor, Victor Oladipo.
There are other young, good pieces to go along those main 3 in guys like Kyle O’Quinn, Evan Fournier and their 2 rookies Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon. With signings in the offseason of some seasoned veterans like Ben Gordon and Channing Frye, it seemed like those in power in Orlando were hoping to take that next step and potentially be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
They were at one point 13-20 and not completely out of the picture in the Eastern Conference but due to their recent struggles, coupled with a lack of steady progress in the record over the years, this may be the end for Vaughn.
If the Magic do let him go, look for an interim assistant to fill Vaughn’s shoes by either James Borrego, Wes Unseld Jr. or Brett Gunning but it will be kind of a Mark Jackson in Golden State scenario.
Vaughn has built a plan for future success in Orlando but it seems like another coach will be able to follow through on what Vaughn set up.
UPDATE:
The following from ESPN’s Chris Broussard:
several league executives have speculated that former Magic player Scott Skiles could be a front-runner for the job.
