Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

An early list of Orlando Magic coaching candidates

ByPhilip Rossman-Reich|
Apr 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Alvin Gentry, Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Mar 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (right) and assistant coach Alvin Gentry against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Warriors defeated the Suns 98-80. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Alvin Gentry

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Tm W L W/L% Finish W L W/L%
2000-01 LAC 31 51 .378 6
2001-02 LAC 39 43 .476 5
2002-03 LAC 19 39 .328 7
2008-09 PHO 18 13 .581 2
2009-10 PHO 54 28 .659 2 10 6 .625
2010-11 PHO 40 42 .488 2
2011-12 PHO 33 33 .500 3 0 0
2012-13 PHO 13 28 .317 5
Career 335 370 .475 12 9 .571

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/21/2015.

Gentry has had plenty of opportunities. The chart above is not even his full coaching career. He had previous stops in Detroit and Miami in mid- and late-1990s. He was always the interim guy, a great lead assistant.

He has filled that role again with Steve Kerr, sort of guiding Kerr through the day-to-day of being a head coach while still being a good assistant.

There is a reason Gentry’s name keeps coming around in the coaching carousel. He is a good communicator and solid Xs and Os guy. At some point things have to click, right?

With so many jobs already under his belt, it may be time to just recognize he is a career assistant and not meant for the lead chair. Someone is going to give him that last head coaching job. And he has just two Playoff appearances to his 12 years as a head coach. That is not a great record, and probably not even enough to be counted as quality NBA experience.

Then again, he got an aging Suns team to a surprise Western Conference Finals once.

Waiting on Gentry will be the biggest task if this is who the Magic really want. The Warriors are likely not going to let him interview anywhere until after they are eliminated from the Playoffs. No one would blame Gentry for focusing more on the job at hand in getting the Warriors to a championship than a potential head coaching job.

Gentry does not inspire a ton of excitement, but he is a capable coach with experience.

Next: Scott Skiles