Jacque Vaughn. AFP FILE PHOTO
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic named Jacque Vaughn as their new head coach on Saturday, replacing Stan Van Gundy who was fired in May.
The 37-year-old Vaughn earned his first head coaching job after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.
“We are beyond excited to name Jacque Vaughn as our head coach,” Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said.
“As we navigated through our coaching search, we quickly saw that Jacque’s spirit and leadership strengths made him the clear choice.
“We are confident that his diligence, attention to detail and communication style will help establish the bedrock of our culture moving forward. His commitment and passion to building a sustainable program will help steer our organization for years to come.”
Vaughn played 12 years in the National Basketball Association after being selected in the first round (27th overall) by Utah in the 1997 NBA entry draft.
Vaughn, who becomes Orlando’s 10th coach in franchise history, spent the 2002-03 season as a member of the Magic, averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 assists.