BASKETBALL: Orlando Magic Sacks Coach Jacque Vaughn

After a week of reports that the front office was not happy with his job, the Orlando Magic have fired coach Jacque Vaughn on Thursday. The team will hold a press conference later in the day to announce his departure. Former video coordinator James Borrego will be the team's interim coach. Scott Skiles has also emerged as a serious candidate to replace Vaughn, per Wojnarowski.

General manager Rob Hennigan released the following statement:


"Jacque (Vaughn) has been a trusted friend and colleague," said Hennigan. "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's team was in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, the second-longest slide in his tenure. They also own the fifth-worst record in the NBA (15-37), which puts them 13th in the Eastern Conference, 7 1/2 games behind the eighth and final playoff spot.

Vaughn was an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs before replacing Stan Van Gundy as coach of the Magic in 2012, following the Dwight Howard era. The 39-year-old was tasked to rebuild the team after Van Gundy led Orlando to an NBA Finals appearance in 2009, drafting players like Andrew Nicholson, Kyle O'Quinn, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton. He owns a 58-158 record during his three-year tenure with a young core of players. His 26.9 win percentage was the lowest among any coach franchise history.