Tom Thibodeau may soon be dropping down from the rafters again.
The former NBA Coach of the Year Thibodeau is being mentioned in connection with the Orlando Magic head coaching job. Steve Popper of Newsday reported on Monday that Thibodeau is a possible replacement for ex-Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Orlando made the decision earlier in the day to fire Mosley after five seasons in charge. Mosley, 47, was 189-221 (.461) overall with the Magic, failing to win even a single playoff series and having just blown a 3-1 lead to lose to the Detroit Pistons during the first round this year. On top of that, Mosley was reportedly clashing with some of Orlando’s star players.
As for Thibodeau, 68, he is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year with 13 total seasons of head coaching experience in the league. He most recently coached the New York Knicks from 2020-25, leading them to their first Eastern Conference Finals berth in a quarter-century last season before surprisingly getting fired.
Thibodeau is currently taking the 2025-26 season off but has remained close to the game in some notable regards. In particular, Thibodeau was spotted around some big-name NBA teams during training camp last October.
The veteran Thibodeau is generally very well-liked by his players and has a reputation as a very strong identity coach. But with Thibodeau specializing in defense, perhaps the Magic (who just submitted one of the worst offensive performances in NBA playoff history) would be smart to cast a wider net in their coaching search.
