The Orlando Magic have yet to formally begin their search for a new head coach following Stan Van Gundy's dismissal on Monday, and team CEO Alex Martins said he would hire a new general manager before looking for a coach. However, according to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw is "the preference" of the DeVos family, which owns the Magic. Shaw, who has no head-coaching experience, played three seasons of his 14-year NBA career with the Magic and his name has come up in Orlando rumors before.

Prior to joining the Pacers, Shaw served as an assistant coach to Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers for seven seasons. He left the organization when it elected to hire Mike Brown rather than promoting him upon Jackson's retirement.

Shaw's Pacers are still alive in the playoffs, trailing the Miami Heat, 3-2, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. When asked Tuesday about other teams' rumored interest in him as a coaching candidate, the Oakland native said, "I'm not going to get caught up in it."

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Jerry Sloan, who's enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida he'd be interested in coaching the Orlando Magic. Orlando has a coaching vacancy following its dismissal of Stan Van Gundy on Monday, after five seasons and two Eastern Conference Finals appearances. "Yes, I think so," Sloan told Tomasson when asked if he'd be interested in Orlando's opening. "It would be very intriguing. But they would have to be interested in me."

Sloan abruptly resigned from the Utah Jazz in February 2011 after 23 seasons and two NBA Finals appearances with the club. "But he said not long after that he got the urge to return to coaching," says Tomasson.

To date, the names associated with Orlando's coaching search--Mike Malone, Brian Shaw, and Chuck Person--have no head-coaching experience, which contrasts sharply with Sloan's decades of experience in the game. But Sloan, a coaching legend, would certainly lend some credibility to a franchise looking to change its image after behind-the-scenes drama marred its lockout-shortened 2011/12 campaign.

In 26 seasons as a head coach, Sloan's record stands at 1221-803 (.603), with a playoff record of 98-104 (.485). Among coaches with at least 500 games, Sloan's .603 win percentage is eighth all-time.

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The Orlando Magic began their offseason shake-up Monday when they announced neither coach Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations, would return for the 2012/13 season. Despite the changes at the top of the basketball operations side of the organization, superstar center Dwight Howard "wants out of Orlando," according to Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com, citing "a source close" to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

"Howard wants out of Orlando more than he ever did before in order to start a new chapter in his career," writes Bernucca. He lists the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers as clubs "that would appeal to Howard."

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After dismissing head coach Stan Van Gundy, the Orlando Magic are already expected to consider hiring Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Malone and Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, but another name has entered this mix: that of Chuck Person, the former NBA player and current Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach. This news comes from separate reports via Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated and David Baumann of Bright House Sports Networks.

According to Amick, Person has interviewed with the Chicago Bulls and Warriors and is "one of the few assistants to gain the trust of Phil Jackson before he retired." Baumann says Person, like Malone and Shaw, would come with the approval of Magic center Dwight Howard, assuming of course that Orlando retains the superstar center. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported previously that the Magic may part ways with the three-time Defensive Player of the Year in order to initiate a full-scale rebuild of the franchise, which is just four seasons removed from an NBA Finals appearance.

Person's coaching experience includes stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pacers, and Sacramento Kings.

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The Orlando Magic made two key changes Monday, "mutually parting ways" with Otis Smith, the team's architect and President of Basketball Operations, as well as "relieving" coach Stan Van Gundy "of his duties" as the club looks toward the future. Both men had one year left on their contracts, and the team will endeavor to replace at least Smith before the NBA Draft on June 28th.

It's unclear exactly what bearing this news has on Dwight Howard's future with the team. The superstar center won't become a free agent until July 1st, 2013, as he agreed to delay his free agency by one season, but Magic CEO Alex Martins indicated "necessary decisions will be made" with regard to Howard if he won't agree to sign a contract extension with the club.

According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, trading Howard will be the first task for the Magic's next general manager, whenever he's brought aboard. "It is the scorched-earth inevitability when a superstar of Howard's caliber wants out," Berger writes. "There's nothing left when he goes."

Berger elaborates that "Howard's leaving anyway, so from here this [Monday's dismissals] looks like a complete revamping from top to bottom." As such, Berger says, including Howard in the team's search for a general manager and coach makes sense only in theory, and not in practice.

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The Orlando Magic announced Monday they have relieved coach Stan Van Gundy of his duties and mutually agreed to part ways with team architect Otis Smith, officially the club's President of Basketball Operations. In a news conference announcing the moves, team CEO Alex Martins says he anticipates hiring a new general manager to replace Smith before moving on to a coaching search. "The GM will drive the process," Martins said, referencing the process of hiring a new coach.

Martins, who only assumed CEO duties in December following the abrupt resignation of Bob Vander Weide, said he would like to have a new general manager in place before the NBA Draft, which is set for June 28th, which is 38 days from Monday's announcement.

Citing a source within Orlando's management, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports the Magic have not begun discussing replacements for Smith, but will convene Tuesday to start their search.

As coach, Van Gundy led the Magic to their best seasons in franchise history, including two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals trip, which included the team's lone NBA Finals win in history. Dwight Howard earned three Defensive Player of the Year honors; Ryan Anderson and Hedo Turkoglu took home Most Improved Player awards; and Howard, Jameer Nelson, and Rashard Lewis combined for seven All-Star appearances.

Per Martins, the team has given Van Gundy's assistant coaching staff--Ahmad Ajami, Bob Beyer, Steve Clifford, Patrick Ewing, and Brendan Malone--the option to remain on the staff for the final year of their contracts.

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The Orlando Magic have announced the termination of head coach Stan Van Gundy and President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Otis Smith.

In a statement released on Monday, Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins said, "On behalf of the DeVos Family, we sincerely appreciate and thank Otis and Stan for all that they have done on and off the floor for the Orlando Magic.These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it's time for new leadership and new voices."

Van Gundy was hired in June 2007 and had a record of 259-135 in five seasons with the Magic. Smith was named general manager in May 2006 and was promoted to president of basketball operations in July 2010.

There was no mention in the official statement of Dwight Howard or his relationship with Van Gundy.

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