The Orlando Magic have announced the firing of head coach Jamahl Mosley after five seasons with the team.
This comes as a surprise, as Mosley has ushered the Magic through a rebuild and into the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
The Magic were playing some of their best basketball in recent weeks, even going up 3–1 in their first-round series against the Eastern Conference’s number one seed, the Detroit Pistons.
Although Mosley led the Magic to the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, they have failed to advance past the first round each year and most recently blew a 3–1 lead to the Pistons, who rallied back to win the series in Detroit and will now face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.
Mosley had a 189–221 overall record and led the Magic to two division titles during his tenure with the team.
Magic president Jeff Weltman will lead the team’s search for their new head coach.
“We’re grateful to Jamahl (Mosley) for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” Weltman said in a team press release. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”