Orlando Magic Next Head Coach Odds (May 2026)

Donovan is the presumed front-runner in Orlando (USATODAY)
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Less than 24 hours after falling to the Detroit Pistons by 32 points, the Orlando Magic have made a change on the bench, firing head coach Jamahl Mosley.

To get a sense of who will replace Mosley, Bookies.com broke down the odds on potential candidates in Orlando, with a pair of recent head coaches joining a handful of up-and-coming assistants on our list.

Coaching Search Updated May 4, 2026 (post-firing)
Magic Next Head Coach: Odds & Candidates

Orlando fired Jamahl Mosley hours after blowing a 3-1 series lead to Detroit. Who's the next coach in the Magic Kingdom?

Orlando Magic
45-37 (2025-26) · Lost 1st round to DET 4-3 · Banchero, Wagner, Bane, Suggs core
Editorial projection — not live sportsbook lines. Click any row to expand fit analysis.
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Billy Donovan FAVORITE
Most recently Chicago Bulls HC
+150
40.0% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
Marc Stein, Josh Robbins, and Jeff Goodman have all reported Donovan as Orlando's top target. The 60-year-old stepped down from Chicago on April 21 with a 469-413 NBA record (2 playoff series wins in 11 seasons). Florida ties are real — he won back-to-back NCAA titles in Gainesville. Awkward note: Magic hired Donovan in 2007 before he reneged the next day to return to UF. 19 years later, the regime has turned over enough times to bury that.
Reported Top Target Florida Ties Knicks Alt-Suitor
2
Terry Stotts FAVORITE
Golden State Warriors assistant
+450
18.2% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
The 68-year-old offensive specialist would target Orlando's biggest weakness directly. Nine seasons in Portland (402-318, .558) included three 50-win campaigns and a 2019 Western Conference Finals appearance. His blocker-mover motion scheme reinvigorated the Warriors' offense the past two years as an assistant. Mosley's stagnant half-court offense was the rotting foundation under the Magic — Stotts is the most direct fix on the board.
Offensive Mind Warriors Tree Half-Court Fixer
3
Tom Thibodeau CONTENDER
Most recently New York Knicks HC
+700
12.5% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
Mentioned in nearly every replacement list. Fired by the Knicks last summer after taking them to the 2025 ECF. Career 57.9% winning percentage. The fit question: Thibs grinds starters into dust — Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs have already missed combined chunks of three straight seasons to injury. But if Orlando wants a proven veteran voice to fix the half-court offense and culture, Thibodeau is the most accomplished name on the open market.
Veteran Voice Defense First Injury Risk Concern
4
Chris Quinn CONTENDER
Miami Heat assistant
+900
10.0% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
Long-rumored HC candidate who has spent over a decade with Erik Spoelstra in Miami. Knows the Magic intimately from a divisional standpoint. Player development reputation is sharp. The hesitation: after handing Mosley a team-altering trade and watching it short-circuit, Orlando may not have the patience for another first-time HC runway. If Weltman is open to it, Quinn is at the top of that bucket.
Heat Pedigree Division Familiarity Player Development
5
Sam Cassell CONTENDER
Boston Celtics assistant
+1100
8.3% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
One of the league's most respected assistants. Two decades on benches in Washington, LA, Philadelphia, and Boston. Credited heavily for the development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, and John Wall as a guard whisperer — that's a profile that should appeal to a team trying to unlock Suggs and Bane. Has interviewed for multiple HC jobs without landing one. The Magic's 2021 hire (Mosley) was a first-time HC, so they have a track record of taking that swing.
Guard Whisperer Boston Pedigree First-Time HC
6
Mike Budenholzer LONGSHOT
Most recently Phoenix Suns HC
+1400
6.7% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
Two-time Coach of the Year and a 2021 NBA champion with Milwaukee. Career 520-363 record across stints with Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Phoenix. Fired by the Suns last April after a single 36-46 season that saw open friction with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The fit on paper is strong — he gets stars to share the ball and run a modern offense — but the Phoenix flameout cooled some of the heat on his name. Available immediately.
2x COY 2021 Champion Phoenix Question Mark
7
Sean Sweeney LONGSHOT
San Antonio Spurs associate HC
+1800
5.3% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
Listed in SI's "honorable mentions" for the Magic job. Spent the past four seasons as a top assistant under Jason Kidd in Dallas, including the 2024 Finals run, before jumping to San Antonio as Mitch Johnson's associate HC last summer. Reputation as a defensive architect — built elite Bucks defenses under Kidd. Has interviewed for HC jobs (including Phoenix) without landing one yet. A bet on a sharp first-time hire from a respected coaching tree.
Defensive Architect Kidd Disciple First-Time HC
8
The Field LONGSHOT
Any other coach · Borrego, Murphy, Snyder, Bryant, Lee, Kerr
+550
15.4% implied
Reporting
Roster Fit
Track Record
Availability
James Borrego (Pelicans associate HC, former Magic interim and Hornets HC) is the deepest in-house tie. Dylan Murphy (Osceola Magic HC, G League Coach of the Month in March 2025) is the internal-promotion swing — Weltman hired him to run the affiliate in 2023. Beyond Orlando's orbit: Quin Snyder (Hawks), Johnnie Bryant (Cavs assistant), Charles Lee (Hornets), Willie Green (fired by NOP). Wild card: Steve Kerr if he steps away from Golden State. NOP, POR, and CHI also interviewing — the candidate pool will dilute fast.
Borrego Watch Murphy Internal Crowded Market
Key Context
Mosley Out: Fired May 4 morning. Five seasons, 189-221 record, three straight first-round exits.
The Decider: POBO Jeff Weltman, who signed an extension earlier this season, is leading the search.
Roster Pressure: Banchero, Wagner, Bane, Suggs all under contract. Reports of "major locker room turmoil" before the playoffs.
Competing Vacancies: NOP, POR, CHI also hiring HCs. Kerr could open Golden State. Crowded coaching carousel.
Editorial odds · Updated May 4, 2026 (post-firing) · Sources: Stein, Robbins, Charania, Goodman

Who Replaces Jamahl Mosley in Orlando?  

Mosley went 189-221 (.461) with the Magic over five seasons, though he led the club to the postseason three years in a row, falling in seven games twice and five games once in the first round of the playoffs during that stretch.  

All told, Mosley elevated Orlando’s position in the East during his half-decade tenure with the team, taking them from a 22-win afterthought to a 47-victory season in 2023-24, along with this year’s 45-37 finish.  

At the end of the day, though, his failure to close a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Pistons at NBA betting apps wound up costing him his job, with Mosley becoming the latest coaching casualty in the NBA.  

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Billy Donovan Favorite For Magic Job

As for who might replace him, we’re going with former Florida Gators, Oklahoma City and Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan as our top contender, at +150.  

Getting the Magic job would be a full-circle moment for Donovan, who previously accepted (then reneged) on the job in 2007, going so far as holding an introductory press conference before backing out and coming back to Gainesville.  

While Stan Van Gundy ultimately wound up landing the Magic’s opening that year, now’s the time for Orlando to get the man they’ve coveted for nearly two decades, with Donovan being a coaching free agent this offseason.  

Outside of Donovan, keep an eye on former Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts (+450) and former Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau (+700) in connection with the Magic opening.  

Stotts has been the Golden State Warriors’ lead assistant since 2024 but helped the Dallas Mavericks win an NBA title as an assistant in 2011, in addition to his vast knowledge of the league through his three stints as a head coach.  

Thibodeau wore out his welcome in the Big Apple after last year’s six-game defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, though he’ll be a hot commodity on the coaching circuit this offseason.  

With a lifetime winning percentage of .579 across 998 games as a coach, Thibodeau brings plenty of bona fides to Orlando, though he’ll have to contend with a host of hot names to get the Magic job this time around.  

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Who Else Could Land Magic Job?  

Keep an eye on a pair of NBA assistant coaches in connection with the Orlando opening, as Chris Quinn of the Miami Heat (+900) and Sam Cassell of the Boston Celtics (+1100) have a real shot at landing that elusive first head coaching role with the Magic in 2026.  

Quinn has served under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra since 2014, elevating his job title to associate head coach in 2024, while Cassell has coached under Joe Mazzulla in Boston since 2023, with stops as an assistant with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers between 2008 and 2023.  

Two more longshot names to remember in connection with the Orlando opening are former Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer (+1400), as well as San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, who checks in at +1800.  

Budenholzer’s won the NBA’s Red Auerbach Award (or Coach of the Year) two times, doing so in 2015 and 2019, with a .589 career winning percentage across 883 games in the league, though he only lasted a single season with the Suns, going 36-46 and missing the postseason.  

Sweeney’s been an NBA assistant since entering the league as a video coordinator for the New Jersey Nets in 2011, with stops with the Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and Spurs, whom he joined in 2025. While Sweeney’s never been a head coach, his experience under a legion of noteworthy ones, including Avery Johnson, PJ Carlesimo, Dwayne Casey and Jason Kidd should help him hit the ground running, regardless of which team ultimately gives him his first shot at such a role in the future.  

FAQ 

Who is the new coach of the Orlando Magic? 

The Orlando Magic have not yet hired a new head coach. The team fired Jamahl Mosley on May 4, 2026, hours after their Game 7 loss to the Detroit Pistons, and the search is being led by president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. Billy Donovan, who recently stepped down as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, has been reported as the Magic's top target by multiple insiders including Marc Stein, Josh Robbins, and Jeff Goodman. 

Why was Jamahl Mosley fired? 

Mosley was fired after the Magic blew a 3-1 series lead to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The collapse included a Game 6 loss in which Orlando squandered a 24-point second-half lead and missed 23 consecutive shots, then a Game 7 dud on the road. It was the third consecutive first-round exit for Mosley, who finished his five-year tenure with a 189-221 record and never won a playoff series. POBO Jeff Weltman cited the need for a "new voice and fresh perspective." 

Will Billy Donovan coach the Magic? 

Billy Donovan is the reported frontrunner for the Magic head coaching job, but no agreement has been reached. Multiple NBA insiders — including Marc Stein, The Athletic's Josh Robbins, and Jeff Goodman — have linked Donovan to Orlando. Donovan stepped down as Bulls head coach on April 21, 2026, has Florida ties from his back-to-back NCAA championship run at the University of Florida, and is one of the most experienced names available. Notably, the Magic actually hired Donovan in 2007 before he reneged on the deal the next day to return to UF.