<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If the Orlando Magic are courting Phoenix Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni to be their next head coach, they'd be hard-pressed to find a rookie candidate with a better background. His resume reads like a Who's Who of pro basketball. He's worked under Pat Riley and Mike Fratello as well as Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni, and played under Jerry Sloan. He played with John Stockton and worked as a coach with Steve Nash, and tutored big men Amare Stoudemire and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Iavaroni, 50, is expected to interview with the Magic, according to The Arizona Republic. The Republic reported in Saturday's editions that the Magic asked for and were granted permission from the Suns to talk to him about replacing Brian Hill. The Magic refused to comment. Iavaroni did not return a call from the Sentinel. It was not known whether Iavaroni is the first coach the Magic would interview -- or whether such a development would mean they are not interested in Florida Gators Coach Billy Donovan. Former Miami Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy and former Orlando assistant Bob Hill already have said they want to be candidates for the Magic job. Former Magic forward Dennis Scott also has contacted the club. Scott, 38, is the radio analyst for the Atlanta Hawks and general manager of the Atlanta Vision of the American Basketball Association. San Antonio Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo, former head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors, told the Sentinel on Saturday from Salt Lake City, Utah, that he would not comment on his interest in any coaching openings until the Spurs' playoff run ends. The Spurs are facing the Jazz in the Western Conference finals. The Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, Seattle SuperSonics, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings are looking for head coaches. Iavaroni, perhaps the league's hottest coaching commodity, has met with the Grizzlies. Two years ago, Iavaroni was in the running for the Trail Blazers' job, which ended up going to Nate McMillan. A seven-year NBA forward who played for the Philadelphia 76ers' title team in 1983, Iavaroni has been D'Antoni's lead assistant since 2002. The Suns, recently ousted by the Spurs in the playoffs, are known as perhaps the NBA's most exciting team. They led the league in scoring, and D'Antoni has the pieces to execute a free-flowing offense. The Magic said they fired Hill, in part, for his lack of offensive imagination. Their hope might be that Iavaroni can bring a playbook of fireworks as a disciple of D'Antoni. Of course, it would help if Iavaroni could bring Nash and Shawn Marion with him to Orlando. "Anybody who thinks they have creativity and good ideas and can help motivate others and teach wants to be a head coach," Iavaroni told reporters in 2005. Iavaroni has been exposed to various coaches and various styles of play. He was an assistant and director of player development with the Miami Heat under Riley from 1999-2000 before leaving for Phoenix. Riley is an exquisite motivator and promotes physical basketball. Before coaching with the Heat, Iavaroni was an assistant from 1997-99 under the defense-first, detail-oriented Fratello in Cleveland. Iavaroni played 31/2 seasons with the Karl Malone-Stockton Jazz, learning from the tough-minded Sloan. If the Magic are looking for a coach who can relate to big men Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic, Iavaroni worked with 7-3 Cavs center Ilgauskas and is credited with helping mold Suns forward Stoudemire. "I don't think you really know if you're ready," he said in the 2005 interview, when asked about getting his shot to be a head coach. "But I've played under great coaches, played with great players and coached great players. I'm as ready as anybody."</div> Source: Orlando Sentinel
Good for the Magic, Ivaroni was good under Dantoni, and should be a pretty good head coach. Maybe he'll bring Marion with him, you can only hope. lol.
I don't think so. I think Van Gundy is their first choice, but Ivaroni is just the first one interveiwed.
<div class="quote_poster">MainMan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">if this is their first lined up interview does this mean iavaroni is their first choice?</div> I don't think so. Some of their candidates are still coaching playoff teams like Carlisimo and Van Gundy hasn't scheduled anything despite showing his interest. I think this just means Iavaroni has the most free time.
Well the quicker we get a new coach the sooner the team can move on with the whole coaching change. Im ready for new look for this team. I cant wait for next season, hopefully with a new coach we can have a new attitude.
