Orlando Magic Hire Spurs Assistant Sean Sweeney as Head Coach

The Orlando Magic hired San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as their new head coach. Sweeney, 41, spent the 2025-26 season as San Antonio's lead assistant and ran the team's defense. The Spurs improved from 25th to third in NBA defensive efficiency rankings under Sweeney and ranked top-five in defending isolations, on-ball screens, drives and rim protection, according to ESPN Research.

The Spurs posted a 62-20 record, tied for the third-most wins in franchise history, and advanced to the conference finals. The Magic announced the hiring on May 29, 2026. Sweeney will finish the remainder of the 2026 postseason on the Spurs' bench, with San Antonio hosting the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

He becomes the 16th head coach in Orlando Magic franchise history. Jamahl Mosley was fired after the Magic blew a 3-1 first-round series lead against the Detroit Pistons. Mosley has since become the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Magic led the top-seeded Pistons 3-1 before Franz Wagner suffered a series-ending right calf strain in Game 4, after which Orlando lost three straight games. Former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were also finalists for the Magic's coaching vacancy. Sweeney, Donovan and Van Gundy held in-person meetings with top Magic officials last week.

The Magic offered the job to Sweeney after his interview, sources said. Sweeney has served as a lead assistant to a conference finalist in three of the last five seasons. He spent the previous four seasons as Jason Kidd's lead assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, coordinating offense and defense during the team's run to the 2024 NBA Finals.