Orlando Magic: 5 candidates to replace Frank Vogel as head coach

4. Steve Clifford

Steve Clifford is a name that has recently come onto the market. Clifford was fired by the Charlotte Hornets on Friday morning after five seasons with the team. Buzz City endured its second consecutive 36-46 season in 2017-18, missing the playoffs both times.

Clifford led the Hornets to the playoffs twice over five years: 2014 and 2016. His tenure in Charlotte ends with a 196-214 record.

The kicker is that the Hornets were pretty okay from an efficiency standpoint. Basketball Reference shows that in 2017-18 Charlotte averaged 109.4 points per 100 possessions (13th) and allowed 109.1 per 100 (16th) for a +0.3 net rating.

But that’s just it: the Hornets were stagnating under Clifford. Charlotte comes away from his tenure averaging and allowing 105.9 points per 100 possessions. After five years, team owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan felt it was time for a change.

Jordan already fired general manager Rich Cho in February, eventually replacing him with former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. Following season, Kupchak thought it best to move on from Clifford as well.

Despite the firing, Steve Clifford is still well-respected across the league. He had to step away from his team during this season due to health concerns. However, that shouldn’t stop him from getting a number of interviews to fill any of the coaching vacancies across the league.

While his time ran out in Charlotte, Steve Clifford may simply need a change of scenery. The Magic should take a flier on the coach and see if his style can mesh with this young roster.