An early list of Orlando Magic coaching candidates

The Orlando Magic’s coaching search is going to begin shortly. We put together our early list of guys the Magic should look at to fill the vacancy.

The Orlando Magic offseason is less than a week old and already it seems like there is too much work to do.

Draft preparations are surely well under way as the team begins gameplanning how it wants to tackle the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago at the beginning of May and compiling notes and lists to create a Draft Board (we will have our own soon before the Lottery on May 19).

More pressing though in those preparations is to have a coach in place.

Rob Hennigan would not put a timetable on when they would hire a coach. They are going to remain deliberate and methodical in their approach in searching for a new coach. And, of course, they may have to wait for coaches to become available as the Playoffs progress too.

Hennigan also would not say exactly what the Magic are looking for in a head coach. So anything involving the Magic’s coach search is going to be purely speculation.

Already, an initial list emerged. At the conclusion of the regular season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Scott Skiles, Billy Donovan and Tom Thibodeau comprised an early list. Hennigan said during exit interviews, however, that the team had not begun making contact with potential candidates.

The process, it would seem, is just beginning.

So let’s set the table and review the candidates that the Magic are almost certain to look at. And then, perhaps, throw a few names out there to consider that may not quite be in the running for a head coach job but would be interesting hires.

Next: Tom Thibodeau