ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Magic fans are hearing from their new head coach.
Sean Sweeney was formally introduced at a news conference in Orlando on Thursday.
“I’m going to work to my highest level to do the best job I can for this franchise and for the guys like this that are sitting here in front of us,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney comes to the Magic from the San Antonio Spurs, where he was an associate head coach. Sweeney specializes in the defensive side of basketball strategy and is considered the mastermind behind the Spurs’ defensive scheme that helped propel them to the NBA Finals.
The Spurs eventually lost the championship to the New York Knicks.
Sweeney is 41 and this is his first full-time stint as an NBA head coach.
Sweeney said he planned to hold the organization to a high standard, and he also wants to make sure the players know he is listening to their concerns.
“There’s been a lot of communication with all those guys,” Sweeney said of the players. “I think there’s been a lot of listening, a lot of getting feedback from them on their thoughts on things themselves, the team, and then trying to communicate things that I value."
Sweeney will be the Magic’s 15th head coach, replacing Jamahl Mosley, who was fired last month after five seasons and three consecutive first-round playoff exits. Mosley is now the coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.
News 6’s Jamie Seh spoke with Sweeney in a one-on-one interview. You can watch the full interview at the top of this story.