Magic Hire Spurs' Sean Sweeney as Head Coach

The Orlando Magic are finalizing their head coaching search by hiring San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney.

ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.

"BREAKING: The Orlando Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 and now lands the Magic head job as a top rising candidate," Charania tweeted.

BREAKING: The Orlando Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 and now lands the Magic head job as a top rising candidate. pic.twitter.com/aV3Zj6l57k
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2026

Who is Sean Sweeney?

Sweeney, 41, is one of the rising coaches in the league after spending over a decade in the NBA as an assistant.

Sweeney's coaching career began in 2011 when he was the video coordinator for the New Jersey Nets. He moved with the franchise to Brooklyn and was part of the coaching staff for the first year at the Barclays Center.

He worked under Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo and Jason Kidd during his time with the Nets before being promoted to an assistant coach. In 2014, Sweeney moved on from the Bucks as part of Kidd's staff.

Sweeney spent four years with the Bucks, helping them reach new heights, making the playoffs in three of his four seasons in Milwaukee. By 2018, Sweeney moved on to join the Detroit Pistons under head coach Dwane Casey.

Sweeney was with Casey and the Pistons for three seasons before reuniting with Kidd on his staff with the Mavericks. Ironically enough, he came in the year after Jamahl Mosley joined the Magic in 2021. Sweeney helped the Mavs reach the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024, but they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Following the 2024-25 campaign, Sweeney moved to the Spurs, becoming Mitch Johnson's associate head coach. This season, Sweeney has helped the Spurs win 62 games and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Sweeney and the Spurs are one win away from advancing to the NBA finals if they can beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Saturday night.

While Sweeney is a first-time head coach, similar to Mosley when he first arrived five years ago, he has experience making it deep into the NBA playoffs. His vision for how to move the Magic forward appears to have struck something within Jeff Weltman and Orlando's front office.

Sweeney should join the Magic once the Spurs' season comes to an end either after Game 7 or the NBA Finals.

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