The Orlando Magic fired coach Jacque Vaughn on Thursday. Assistant coach James Borrego will be the interim head coach.
The firing comes after the Magic picked up the fourth-year option in Vaughn’s contract in the offseason. The option guarantees that Vaughn will be paid his salary next season. The Magic could hire his replacement during the All-Star break next week, or wait until the end of the season. Former Magic player Scott Skiles has become a serious candidate to replace Vaughn, while former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Malone and Vinny Del Negro are also candidates, according to Yahoo Sports.
"Jacque has been a trusted friend and colleague," Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said, ESPN notes. "We thank him immensely for his contributions and sacrifices in bringing our team to this point, and we greatly appreciate his unwavering commitment to our organization. We have tremendous respect for Jacque and certainly wish him the best as he embarks on the next phase of his career."
Vaughn played in the NBA for 12 years. One of the teams that he played for was the Magic. He was hired by the Magic in 2012 after being an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. Vaughn was 58-158 in his two-plus seasons with the Magic, according to USA Today. He has the second-worst winning percentage as a coach with at least 200 games at .269.
Vaughn wasn’t the only person that the Magic fired. They have also fired assistant coaches Wes Unseld Jr., Brett Gunning, and Zack Guthrie. The Magic are currently 15-37 and have the third worst record in the Eastern Conference.