The Orlando Magic have been searching for a head coach for some time now. The team announced that it had parted ways with Frank Vogel back on April 12, and for weeks, Orlando has been in the midst of preparing for the 2018 NBA Draft without knowing who will lead the franchise going forward.
But on Wednesday morning, the Magic finally got their man, and as it turns out, all they had to do was look at who had been in their division for the last five years. Orlando announced its decision to hire former Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford.
Welcome back, Coach Clifford! pic.twitter.com/F21uCxM3KP
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) May 30, 2018
The Hornets fired Clifford earlier this offseason, but he’s still a respected coach who led Charlotte to the postseason twice. As the Magic’s tweet states, Clifford has some history with the organization: He was an assistant coach in Orlando from 2007-12, meaning Clifford was on the bench during the team’s famous run to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Of course, a whole lot has happened since then in Orlando. The organization has not made the postseason sine 2012 and has generally looked hapless since then — the Magic have a 157-335 record since they traded Dwight Howard, going through three different head coaches in the last six years.
But perhaps Orlando is on the verge of a new day. The franchise has a new front office, some talented young pieces, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and as of Wednesday morning, a respected head coach who can, conceivably, tie it all together.
