NEW YORK — The last time the Orlando Magic searched for a new head coach, general manager Rob Hennigan interviewed six people and sought to interview a seventh candidate.
This time, Magic executives expect to interview fewer candidates and are likely to focus on candidates who have head-coaching experience, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.
Team officials have been assembling a list of possible coaching hires, but interviews will start to take place at some point after the Magic conclude their regular season Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
Magic officials will not identify the candidates they hope to interview.
But the team’s list of potential candidates almost certainly includes former Magic point guard Scott Skiles, who compiled a 443-433 regular-season record over 13 seasons as coach of the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks.
Current Bulls coach and 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau could become a candidate if Thibodeau and the Bulls part ways after the postseason.
James Borrego has served as the team’s interim coach since the team fired Jacque Vaughn on Feb. 5, and Borrego has received strong reviews from Magic players.
The team has amassed a 10-19 record under Borrego.
It’s unclear if the team will consider Borrego, 37, who is the NBA’s youngest current head coach.
Magic executives likely want someone who has a proven track record as an NBA head coach and a proven résumé of turning young players into a more cohesive team. All other things equal, the Magic likely want to hire someone who would generate excitement among the team’s fan base.
The Magic would like to have their coaching hire in place before the NBA Draft on June 25 to enable the hire to provide input on prospective draft picks, as Vaughn did prior to the 2013 and 2014 drafts.
But that’s merely a preference.
It’s more important to team officials to have a coach in place before free agency begins on July 1, because free agents are unlikely to sign with a team without knowing who the coach will be.
The Magic last hired a coach between the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. The team picked Vaughn, a longtime NBA point guard and former Magic player who had spent just two seasons as an NBA assistant coach.
During that process, Hennigan conducted first-round interviews with Michael Curry, Jeff Hornacek, Lindsey Hunter, Michael Malone, Brian Shaw and Vaughn. Hennigan also sought to interview Quin Snyder, but Snyder elected instead to become an assistant coach for a team in Russia.
Curry was the only candidate in that group who previously had NBA head-coaching experience.
The Magic compiled a 58-158 record during Vaughn’s tenure.
jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.
