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Why wait until the end of June to announce a new head coach? Why even waste time with an interview? Stan Van Gundy is the best choice the Magic can make to replace Brian Hill as head coach, and if Otis Smith can’t see that then we need to start the “fireotissmith.org” site now.

Former Miami Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday the Magic have not contacted him, but he's interested.

"I'm hopeful. It's a situation I'd definitely be interested in," said Van Gundy, whose wife's mother lives in Lake Mary.

Stan Van Gundy has won 112 games and lost 73 games in his coaching record. His playoffs record is 17 wins and 11 lose. Van Gundy has guided Miami to two postseason berths, a Southeast Division championship, 101 regular season wins and 17 postseason victories. The 17 postseason victories rank third in the NBA over the two-year period and the 101 regular season wins stand as the fifth highest mark in the league. Additionally, in each of his two years as a head coach he has guided the HEAT to a 17-win improvement over the previous season, making him only the second coach in NBA history to lead his team to at least 15-win improvements in consecutive years.

His regular season success during the first half of the 2004-05 season earned him the honor of being named the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game in Denver. Van Gundy was the first Miami HEAT coach to serve as an All-Star head coach and guided the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 10-point victory.

After an outstanding rookie year in which he took a team that had won 25 games the previous year, and with a couple of key additions, turned it into a 42-win playoff team, expectations where high for Van Gundy and the HEAT for the 2004-05 season. Those expectations rose even higher after Riley pulled off a blockbuster trade acquiring All-Star Shaquille O’Neal. Van Gundy once again proved up to the challenge leading the HEAT, with 11 new players during the 2004-05 season, to a 59-23 record and earning the top record in the Eastern Conference. The 59 wins marked the second-best single-season total in franchise history and allowed the HEAT to capture the inaugural Southeast Division title by a whopping 14 games over its next closest competitor, the largest margin for any division winner in the NBA in 2004-05. In fact the 14-win edge over the second place division finisher was the largest in the NBA since the Chicago Bulls won the Central Division by 20 games over its next closest competitor in the 1995-96 season. One of the keys to Miami’s success in 2004-05 was dominating its division rivals. The HEAT posted a 15-1 record and .938 winning percentage against Southeast Division foes, setting an NBA record in the process for best divisional record. The HEAT tied eventual NBA champion San Antonio for the second best overall record in the NBA in 2004-05. Miami’s 35-6 mark at home was the best in the Eastern Conference and second best in the league while its 24-17 road mark topped the Eastern Conference and ranked fifth in the league.

A three-time Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in his two seasons, Van Gundy received the league honor twice during the 2004-05 campaign. It didn’t take long for Miami’s new additions to accept the coach’s philosophy and produce positive results.
After coaching under the very controlling Pat Riley, Van Gundy will have no problem letting Otis Smith run the show. Now some people can rightfully aurgue that Van Gundy’s offense is not fast pace, but his first year of coaching the heat, their offense was fast past. He had to slow it down once Shaq came into the picture because it’s not possible to run fast with him on your team.

Stan Van Gundy would bring just as much excitement to the Magic as Florida State’s Billy Donovan would plus he would bring something that Donovan cannot which is experience. Knowing what the Magic are looking for, he’s willing to provide it and has a proven record to show that he can. Forget Paul Silas, forget Larry Brown, forget Bob Hill, and forget all those other prospects. As far as I’m concerned, our search for a new coach is over. Stan Van Gundy is our man, if he can’t do it no one can!