The Orlando Magic are not hiding where they are. They have been in this place before, going through the motions of trying to find the right coach to lead a young team seeking its way.
The players this time might be a bit younger, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has already tipped his hand on the kind of coach he will be looking for. He already found his guy in Steve Clifford three years ago.
The realities of the Magic’s roster development led to a separation from Clifford. The team opted to detonate its roster and start over with a group of young players.
Even as the team tried to drift to the end of the season, Clifford seemed to make it clear what his philosophy was. He was doing his best to help these young players get as much from their time on the court, but the amount of youth without any veteran guidance clearly frustrated him as a teacher.
The repeated statement throughout Weltman’s press conference announcing the parting with the team’s head coach was Clifford’s personal goals and spot in his career no longer aligned with the team’s goals and vision for the future. It makes sense in that case for the team to seek a new voice and leader from the bench.
The Orlando Magic are seeking a new coach once again. And while there is a long list of qualified candidates, there are a few names that are catching our eyes early in the process.
But no doubt, Orlando will be looking for something similar to what Clifford provided. The team picked him, after all, three years ago when the team was trying to crack the playoff nut and get into the postseason.
The team back in 2018 was a bit older. So a more experienced coach like Clifford seemed to fit. Now with the fourth-youngest roster in the league — and possibly three more rookies on the way — the Magic are looking for something different.
Or rather someone different. Because the process and the qualities the team is looking for in a coach probably have not changed.
"“I don’t have a cookie-cutter answer for you,” Weltman said during a media availability Saturday. “I can’t tell you we are going to look for a young guy, or a guy with experience or without. We’re going to meet with a host of bright, sharp coaching candidates and see where they take us. “Obviously, we need to develop a great number of young, talented players. That will figure into the conversations. I don’t think there is a right answer to is there a right age or experience level to be able to accomplish your goals. It’s finding the right person. that’s what we’ll be looking for and that alignment. It’s everything.”"
Orlando will undoubtedly cast a wide net. But the skills that are necessary are someone who is a good teacher, has patience to work through youthful mistakes and can hold the team accountable and to a high standard.
That really does sound like Clifford in many ways. The difference is Clifford was at a point in his career where he did not want to go through a rebuild. That may be a feeling that is present among other experienced coaches.
So it would seem that Orlando is likely to hire a first-time or younger coach to guide this team moving forward. Those are the kind of coaches that might jump at this opportunity.
The reality too is the Magic are likely going to interview a lot of the same coaches who interviewed for the job in 2018. Indeed, the process and the kind of coaches the job will attract are likely not to change.
But here is an early shortlist of candidates.
Terry Stotts
The first place to start is with the only coach with any substantiated connection to the Orlando Magic at the moment.
Marc Stein of The New York Times was the first to report the Magic had an interest in interviewing former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts after he was similarly relieved of his duties in Portland. Indeed, the Magic hoped to interview him in 2018 during their previous coaching search when it looked like the Blazers might let him go.
Portland Trail Blazers
Stotts’ record at this point is pretty unassailable. He coached the Blazers for nine seasons, making the playoffs in eight of those seasons including one trip to the Western Conference Finals. During that time, he helped foster the Blazers through Damian Lillard’s entire career.
Terry Stotts is essentially the mirror image of Steve Clifford.
Where Clifford’s teams have constantly been searching for offense to match his defensive coaching and foundation, Stotts has been constantly chasing a functioning defense to match the offensive firepower and ingenuity his team had.
Having Lillard sure helps, but the Portland Trail Blazers this past year had the No. 2 offense in the league (just a hair behind the vaunted Brooklyn Nets) but the second-worst defense in the league. That was never a formula to win. And while the Blazers certainly struggled to put together a strong roster to defend.
All of their best seasons under Stotts came when the team was able to defend.
Stotts’ name is going to be bounced around every coaching vacancy — the Indiana Pacers might be interested if they move on from Nate Bjorken. In the end, as a veteran coach, Stotts’ goals may not align with another rebuild.
It should be noted too that Stotts went 52-85 in his first coaching stint in Atlanta for two years and then 63-83 in two years with the Milwaukee Bucks, going from a playoff berth in 2006 to 23 wins in 2007.
He may not be the right coach for such a deep rebuild.
Other former NBA coaches to consider: Kenny Atkinson, Alvin Gentry
David Vanterpool
There are a lot of assistant coaches in waiting who the Orlando Magic should look at that have a proven track record of assisting teams that have met a lot of success and a pedigree for developing players.
None should be higher on that list than former Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach David Vanterpool.
His reputation in the league for developing players is pretty sterling. Damian Lillard credits David Vanterpool a lot for his development into a superstar player and other players on that roster credit the work Vanterpool did for them.
That is a pretty big sign-off. So too was the disappointment when the Timberwolves opted not to promote David Vanterpool to the lead job when they fired Ryan Saunders before hiring Chris Finch. Vanterpool resigned mid-season rather than stay on Finch’s staff.
Vanterpool has been knocking on the door for a head coaching job for a long time. The Magic have interviewed him for each of their last two head coaching vacancies. It is not that Vanterpool has not been at the table or is not ready for the head coaching job.
This feels like a perfect team to give him his first head coaching job. The Magic are in need of someone with a modern offensive sensibility and someone who can work to develop the young players on their roster. That is something Vanterpool can provide with his experience in the league so far.
Any first-time coach will have to lay out a detailed plan of their process and have clear ideas of how to execute this plan. They also need to make sure they have a good assisting staff — probably even with one former head coach on the bench next to him or her — as they take on the added responsibilities of a head coach.
But Vanterpool has been waiting for his chance. His track record of development is good. He should get his opportunity sooner than later.
Other Assistants to consider: Sam Cassell, Dan Craig, Wes Unseld Jr.
Anfernee Hardaway
Even before the Orlando Magic parted with Steve Clifford, fans online were calling for the team to hire Anfernee Hardaway. This is a bit of fantasy booking from a nostalgic fan base. He was the coaching candidate that the media asked Jeff Weltman directly about during his press conference.
Hardaway is deeply entwined with the Orlando psyche and there is clear narrative interest behind hiring Hardaway. The moment he emerged as a college coach, people wanted to bring Hardaway “home” to Orlando as their head coach.
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Never mind, Hardaway is a lifelong Memphis resident who has done nothing but give back to that community first as a middle school coach then as an AAU coach and then as Memphis’ coach in college.
There is something of a split opinion on Hardaway as a coaching candidate among basketball people despite the fans’ push to bring him back to Orlando. And it starts with his coaching record so far.
Hardaway has undoubtedly created a strong connection with a young generation of players. His recruiting success at Memphis — the No. 15 recuriting class in 2021, No. 24 class in 2020 and the No. 1 class in 2019 (led by James Wiseman) according to 247Sports.com — shows his ability to reach a young group.
So far, the results on the court have not matched. True, Wiseman was deemed ineligible for the 2020 season, derailing a super-talented Memphis team, but Hardaway has not reached the NCAA Tournament in three seasons as head coach.
His NIT championsip win last year is a sign that he is getting his legs under him as a head coach. So there may be a future for Hardaway in the NBA if he wants it. But right now, he should probably continue plying his trade in college and building on that success.
For a young team like the Magic, they need a steady hand and not someone who is still learning how to coach at higher levels or whether he is a successful coach at the level he is currently at.
Hardaway might still get there, but he probably is not there yet.
Other college coaches to consider: Juwan Howard, Jay Wright, Jerry Stackhouse, Patrick Ewing
Tyrone Corbin
Ironically, Tyrone Corbin was one of the coaches the Orlando Magic interviewed in 2018 before hiring Steve Clifford. They ended up hiring Corbin to be Clifford’s lead assistant.
The reaction in 2018 to the potential of hiring Corbin was tepid, to say the least. He has a 119-167 record in five seasons as a head coach. He made one playoff appearance in four seasons as head coach of the Utah Jazz. Corbin never really made a mark as a head coach and his candidacy then seemed out of place.
So why would we bring him up now?
It really sounds like the Magic did not want to part with Clifford. The reason the two parted ways was more about Clifford and his goals and where he wants to be and not because of any dissatisfaction with his job.
There is absolutely something to be said then for continuity. For a young roster, especially, it is impoortant to get the same and consistent message as they grow. Too much change and too different a philosophy can halt and slow a player’s development — just ask Aaron Gordon or Wendell Carter.
If there is a pick for stability then it should be Tyrone Corbin. The players on the roster already know what he expects and it would make for a seamless transition to the next era.
Not only that, they responded well to his voice going 3-3 with him as the acting head coach when Clifford was in health and safety protocols.
Corbin would undoubtedly put his own stamp on the team and shift philosophies some. But it likely would not be that drastic and there is the chance he would retain much of the staff — continuing the development that occurred under Clifford.
That at least needs to be considered even if the team ultimately does not go in that direction.
Other Magic assistants to consider: Pat Delany, Stan Heath
Brian Shaw
The last name I want to put on this early list is former Orlando Magic guard and G-League Ignite coach Brian Shaw.
Shaw’s coaching record is a bit checkered.
He was considered the coach-in-waiting for the Los Angeles Lakers as one of Phil Jackson’s lead assistants during the Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 title runs. He took over the Denver Nuggets and struggled to connect with young players in going 56-85 in two years. Then the NBA picked Shaw to be the head coach for their G-League Ignite team — a roster specifically made to develop young players — and led them to the playoffs.
What to make of all this then?
Surely, Shaw has grown as a coach since his first failed stint in the NBA. He reportedly interviewed for the Magic job before the team hired Jacque Vaughn. He did not impress then and his struggles in Denver seemed to confirm passing on him then was the right choice.
But, the continuity argument would make sense here too if the Magic are targeting G-League Ignite players like Jaylen Green or Jonathan Kuminga. Having the same coach that helped either of those players find success in the G-League to continue their development might help them grow.
That probably is not a smart strategy in the end. Pinning a coaching hire to one specific player is not a good idea — just as the Phoenix Suns who seemingly hired Igor Kokoskov to coach his national team charge in Luka Doncic only to pick Deandre Ayton instead (Kokoskov was out in Phoenix after one 19-win season).
Shaw probably needs another few years to prove his development chops and that he is ready for a head coaching job again. But he will be back on the radar soon.
Other G-League Coaches to consider: Jay Hernandez, Coby Karl