Orlando Magic: 5 candidates to replace Frank Vogel as head coach
3. Nick Nurse
Nick Nurse’s coaching journey has taken him all over the world. Now, he could receive the opportunity to get a head job in the best league on earth.
Nurse is another name that Chris Mannix threw out via Twitter on Thursday morning. He has been on the Toronto Raptors‘ coaching staff since 2013. His current position connects him to Jeff Weltman. Weltman was the executive vice president of basketball operations in Toronto from 2013-17.
Two names to watch in Orlando, per league sources: Toronto assistant Nick Nurse and Raptors 905 head coach Jerry Stackhouse. Jeff Weltman is a former Raps GM.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) April 12, 2018
However, Nurse’s coaching career extends way before his time in Canada. He has held head and assistant coaching positions in the D-League, the USBL, Great Britain, Belgium and at the collegiate level.
Nurse has also earned his fair share of hardware. He led the Iowa Energy and Rio Grande Valley Vipers each to a D-League championship in 2011 and 2013, respectively. He also helmed two British Basketball League championship squads during that league’s heyday. Nurse led the Birmingham Bullets to the title in 1996 and the Manchester Giants in 2000.
Combined, Nick Nurse has been coaching continuously for 28 years, and he is currently on the sidelines for the best team in the Eastern Conference. He surely has plenty of wisdom to pass down to the younger players on the Magic roster. With Weltman already familiar with his work, perhaps Orlando will give him a chance to move the team forward.