Rumored coaches are not the answer
By Brett Lauer
The rumors for names to replace Jacque Vaughn have begun. Even though the Magic coaching search has not begun, the two popular names should be thrown out.
Over the past couple of days, there have been rumors of Scott Skiles and Mark Jackson being on top of the list for potential coaches for the Magic.
If coach Jacque Vaughn was to be fired, these two rumored coaches would not be the long-term answer for the Magic. Although they are two highly recognized coaches, their track records do not show enough promise for Orlando.
To explain, I will start with Scott Skiles first. He is well known by Orlando Magic fans because he suited up for the team for five seasons and currently holds the NBA record for assists in a game (30). Skiles is also not new to coaching. He has been the head coach of Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee, spanning over 13 seasons.
While he had some success with the Suns and the Bulls, overall, he has only been about a .500 win coach. Skiles has also been known for not getting along with players. There have been reports from all three of his previous teams of having situations with players.
Skiles is known for making his players work hard, but it seems that he often works them too hard, which causes them to shut him out. This could be similar to the potential problem Orlando is facing with its current coach.
It is definitely a positive that Skiles is able to get his players to push themselves, but it seems that his methods make this quality short-lived and that is not what the Magic need right now. They need a coach they can count on for years to come.
Mark Jackson is another coach that Orlando does not need. Although Jackson works well with Jeff Van Gundy for an entertaining television broadcast, I am not excited about the reports of him possibly becoming our new coach.
Mark was hired back in 2011 for his first NBA coaching job, with the Golden State Warriors. He coached three seasons before being fired after getting knocked out of the playoffs. Mark saw the most success in his final season by winning 51 games. However, Jackson’s style often clashed with Warrior’s management.
There were reports that he did not want to surround himself with better assistants and staff members. He wanted to be the best. The problem with this is Jackson was a new coach and still had a lot to learn about coaching in the NBA, even if his team’s record was respectable. The best way to gain this knowledge is from the support of a strong staff. Warriors’ management simply did not approve of the personnel Jackson had chosen.
Also, there were reports that no one else in the organization was fond of Jackson. They just did not get along with him. Whether or not these reports are true, it is still something to be concerned about.
It seems Jackson might have a very specific style of coaching and if anyone tells him to do different, then there is conflict. This is the type of “drama” that Orlando needs to stay away from. While Jackson could very well improve the Magic’s defense and record, it seems to be too risky of move to commit long-term to.
If the Magic decide to go in a different direction with their coach to give the team a much-needed spark, Skiles and Jackson are not the people to do it.
So, if coach Vaughn does eventually get fired (never fun to talk about someone losing their job), who should be his replacement? Would Orlando be the best off hiring an interim coach to finish out the season and then evaluating their options in the summer? Or, should they try to find the long-term fix now?
More names will surely come out in the coming weeks and months as the Magic decide what to do. These names popular with the fans certainly have a track record, but come with blemishes that may make them less than ideal for the job.