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Orlando Magic make coaching changes, hires ahead of training camp

ByPhilip Rossman-Reich|
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 3: Head coach Randy Wittman of the Washington Wizards yells at the referee during the first half of the basketball game against Los Angeles Cippers at Staples Center April 3, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 3: Head coach Randy Wittman of the Washington Wizards yells at the referee during the first half of the basketball game against Los Angeles Cippers at Staples Center April 3, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic have made some changes to their coaching staff in the last few weeks before training camp. The team should be ready to go for camp.

Training camp is three weeks away and so everything for the team needs to be buttoned up and ready to go for when the players get into camp and practices can begin. There is not going to be a lot of time to get everything ready before preseason games start. And, of course, the season will start a few weeks earlier this year.

The Orlando Magic, though, will be making some late offseason transitions. As the season approaches, the Magic appear to be making some changes to their coaching staff.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports the Orlando Magic have made several changes to the staff, including hiring former Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman as a coaching consultant. It appears, for now, the Magic staff is in place for the upcoming season.

Wittman has been a head coach for 10 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards. He accumulated a 278-406 record. His longest and most successful stint came with the Wizards from 2012-16. He led the team to two playoff appearances with John Wall and reached the conference semifinals in each year.

But Wittman was fired after the 2016 season when the Wizards failed to build off that playoff run and finished 41-41.

Wittman also previously served with the Magic as an assistant coach under Brian Hill in 2006.

As a coaching consultant, it is unclear what his role will be. He may be someone who comes in to observe practices and help advise coach Frank Vogel as well as offer other coaching advice. It does not appear he will be on the bench as an assistant coach.

His role may be similar to Gordon Chiesa, who served as a special consultant to the general manager last year. The Magic hired Gordon Chiesa in 2012 to assist Jacque Vaughn in his first year as a head coach. The former Utah Jazz assistant coach would come to practice and observe the team, discussing what he saw with Jacque Vaughn and the staff.

The Magic will also have some changes to their bench, not just in the offices upstairs.

Wojnarowski reported Saturday that Orlando Magic coach David Adelman has left the team to accept a position on Mike Malone’s staff with the Denver Nuggets.

Adelman spent one year with the Magic as a member of Vogel’s staff.

In response, it appears the Magic are set to promote assistant coach Jay Hernandez and manager of advanced scouting and player development coach Matt Hill.

Jay Hernandez was the only holdover on the coaching staff from Scott Skiles‘ one-year tenure as head coach. He started off as a private player development coach, famously working with Tobias Harris, before joining the Magic. He still specializes in player development for the team and works with players one-on-one to improve their skills through on-court drills and video review.

It appears with Adelman’s departure, the Magic are increasing his role.

The vacancy on the bench also gives Matt Hill the chance to take on a larger role. The former center for the Texas Longhorns joined the Magic in 2012 at the beginning of the rebuild.

He served last year as the manager of advanced scouting, helping compile video of upcoming NBA opponents. He also did a lot of work with the technology to better break down games for players and coaches. Hill sat on the bench for most games, but was not officially an assistant coach.

And, because Hill is 6-foot-10, he often got plenty of on-court work with the Magic’s post players working with assistant coaches to be a defender in some drills.

This promotion seemed like a long time coming for Hill who has been with the Magic through four coaches — Jacque Vaughn, James Borrego, Scott Skiles and Frank Vogel.

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The Magic may still make a few staff additions ahead of training camp. But some shifting around the bench is probably the last big move left to do before training camp opens Sept. 26.