Orlando Magic Hire Jacque Vaughn as Head Coach - East Idaho News
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Orlando Magic Hire Jacque Vaughn as Head Coach

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Getty S 72812 Jacque%20Vaughn?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1343510509463JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images(ORLANDO) — The Orlando Magic haven’t traded center Dwight Howard yet, but they’ve made a different move that will impact the future of the franchise. The team has hired Jacque Vaughn as their new head coach, replacing the recently departed Stan Van Gundy on Saturday.

Vaughn has never been a head coach before, but he spent the past two seasons as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. Despite his limited coaching experience, Vaughn played 12 seasons in the NBA and retired following the 2008-2009 season. He played for the Jazz, Hawks, Magic, Nets, and Spurs.

“As we navigated through our coaching search, we quickly saw that Jacque’s spirit and leadership strengths made him the clear choice,” Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said. “We are confident that his diligence, attention to detail, and communication style will help establish the bedrock of our culture moving forward.”

The team had stated that they wanted to hire a coach with NBA playing experience and championship pedigree. Vaughn won an NBA title with the Spurs in 2007.

Michael Curry, Brian Shaw, and Mike Mallone were also being considered for the job.

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