Orlando Magic fire coach Jacque Vaughn

The Orlando Magic have announced they've fired coach Jacque Vaughn as first reported by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Assistant James Borrego has been named the interim replacement.

GM Rob Hennigan released a statement saying, "Jacque has been a trusted friend and colleague. We thank him immensely for his contributions and sacrifices in bringing our team to this point, and we greatly appreciate his unwavering commitment to our organization. We have tremendous respect for Jacque and certainly wish him the best as he embarks on the next phase of his career."

The Magic have lost 16 of their last 18 games and own a 15-37 record, the fifth-worst in the NBA. Despite having a core of young, talented players featuring the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, and Tobias Harris.

Orlando has failed to meet even modest expectations in its third season after beginning its rebuilding project by trading Dwight Howard away. And Vaughn, whom general manager Rob Hennigan hired to guide this squad, paid for it with his job.

Rumors about Vaughn's pending dismissal reached a fever pitch Thursday evening and Friday morning, when multiple reports from local and national media outlets suggested he was on the outs.

With Vaughn at its helm, Orlando has posted the NBA's worst record since the 2012/13 season. He remains under contract with the Magic through the 2015/16 season.