Orlando Magic name San Antonio Spurs' Sean Sweeney as head coach

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Magic formally named San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach on Monday.

Sweeney becomes the Orlando Magic's 16th head coach. This is his first head coach position. 

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 9: Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney of the Dallas Mavericks talks to the team during the game against the Boston Celtics during Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals on June 9, 2024 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User

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What we know:

The Magic announced that the St. Paul, Minn. native would take over as head coach after serving as associate head coach for the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs this past season. He'll continue with the Spurs through the NBA finals, the Magic said in a news release. 

This news comes after reports that Sweeney was up for the position.

Sweeney, 41, replaces Jamahl Mosley, who was fired after five seasons despite leading Orlando to three consecutive playoff appearances. The move comes after the Magic suffered another first-round playoff exit and squandered a 3-1 series lead against Detroit.

Sweeney, a longtime assistant, emerged from a candidate pool that included veteran coaches Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gundy. Sweeney is expected to remain with the Spurs until their postseason run concludes.

The backstory:

Sweeney has spent more than a decade building a reputation as one of the league's brightest defensive minds. After beginning his NBA career as a video coordinator with the New Jersey Nets, he worked his way through assistant coaching roles in Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Detroit, Dallas and San Antonio.

His stock rose sharply this season after helping transform San Antonio's defense into one of the NBA's best units. The Spurs built their defensive system around Victor Wembanyama, who went on to win Defensive Player of the Year honors.

What we don't know:

It's unclear what changes Sweeney may make to Orlando's coaching staff or how he plans to address the team's offensive inconsistencies, which surfaced during the playoff collapse against Detroit.

What they're saying:

President of Operations Jeff Weltman welcomed Sweeney to the Orlando Magic family, saying that Sweeney brings a "tremendous work ethic" and "high degree of intensity" to his role as head coach. 

"We’re excited to welcome Sean (Sweeney) to the Orlando Magic family," Weltman said. "Sean brings a tremendous work ethic and a high degree of intensity that set the tone for everything he does. Sean’s attention to detail and his ability to communicate and teach the game clearly stands out. He’s grounded in competitiveness and accountability, while also embracing a modern, creative approach to coaching."

What's next:

The Magic will host an introductory press conference with Head Coach Sweeney after the NBA finals, the team said.