I knew he was gone in spite of prior public statements from the Magic. It seems obvious to me Hill didn't connect with their players. The thought "Dead Coach Walking" popped into my head anytime they showed him on the sidelines. So much for having extra patience with Hill because of what happened his first time in Orlando. The Magic's management should realize by now their public statements have no credibility at all. These choice words are stupid and they should just let him go instead of putting on a charade there is any chance of him returning. I think it's totally classless. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2858870 The Orlando Magic's team president will take two to three weeks to evaluate Brian Hill's performance coaching the team, and there are no guarantees Hill will return, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Brian Hill Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images The Magic will take time to evaluate the performance of Brian Hill, above, before deciding whether to keep him as coach. "People ask me if Brian Hill will be back as our coach. All I can say is that I have no answer for that right now," Bob Vander Weide told the Sentinel, adding that there are philosophical issues between Hill and management over the team's style of play. After the Magic were swept out of the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Detroit Pistons, the team said Hill was expected to return as coach. But Wednesday, Vander Weide told the Sentinel "sometimes there are no guarantees in life." The newspaper reported Hill could not be reached for comment. The Magic started the season strong at 13-4 and were 22-14 in early January, but were befelled by injuries and stumbled to a 40-42 record and the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. "I can tell you there is a certain level of frustration the way we limped into the playoffs," Vander Weide told the Sentinel. He also told the newspaper that management wanted to see more fast-break basketball. "We have to see if there wasn't the opportunity to run the ball more," Vander Weide told the newspaper. "Style of play is one of the key things.'' Hill, 59, is in his second stint with the Magic and his four-year contract runs through 2009. He first coached the team from 1993-97, leading the team to the 1995 NBA Finals. He also coached the then-Vancouver Grizzles for three seasons.
I'm half surprised they didn't can Brian Hill during the regular season. I really liked the guy when he originally coached the Magic. It was an odd hire in the first place, but if they can him again after only one year, then I think it was a pretty low down thing to do even hiring him again. Maybe they can re-hire Chuck Daly.
