The Orlando Magic have found their replacement for Jamahl Mosley. The Magic have hired San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as their next head coach, the team announced Monday. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the hire late last week.
Sweeney will remain with the Spurs through the remainder of the postseason, Orlando confirmed. San Antonio is set to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals after a stunning seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder, who averaged 119 points per game throughout the regular season, were held to just 109 points per game by Sweeney’s defense in the WCF.
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Sweeney previously spent over a decade as an assistant coach around the NBA — seeing time with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks — before landing the associate coach role with the Spurs ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
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With the Spurs, Sweeney was reportedly tasked with running the team’s defense. The team experienced a significant step forward in Sweeney’s first season, going from 23rd to eighth in points per game allowed. In his third season, former No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama was named the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year to top his list of other accolades, including first-team All-NBA and All-Defense.
Sweeney reportedly beat out former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy for the Magic’s head-coaching job, per Charania.