The Orlando Magic fired their head coach Jacque Vaughn back in February and finished the season 25-57 under interim coach James Borrego. Borrego was not the long term answer at the head coaching spot for the Magic so after the season ended, they began the search for a suitable replacement.
While there have been rumors that the Magic are interested in Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Orlando is interested in bring back one of their former players to coach the team - Scott Skiles.
Scott Skiles has emerged as the strong frontrunner to become head coach of the Orlando Magic, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan has discussed the opening with several possible candidates, but Skiles has clearly separated himself in the process, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Skiles fits the candidate profile that Hennigan privately outlined for the coaching search: a successful head-coaching résumé that includes strong emphasis on upgrading Orlando’s defense and accountability.
Skiles has been successful as a head coach with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks but has always wore out his welcome, lasting only three-plus seasons with each team. As Wojnarowski points out, the Magic want to become a better defensive team (Orlando allowed on average 101.4 points per game in the regular season) and in all of his previous stops, Skiles has improved his team's defense.
Also, from 1989-1994 Skiles actually played for the Magic and is the franchise leader in assists per game and free-throw percentage. Hiring him would be a nice public relations move (bringing back the former player) but can he actually turn the Magic into a playoff contender? Playing in the East and having a solid young core of Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo, Skiles will have plenty to work with if he is hired.
