Unseld has familiarity with the Magic franchise. From 2012-15, he worked on Jacque Vaughn’s coaching staff until Vaughn and most of the staff were fired midway through the 2014-15 season. At that time, the Magic’s basketball operations department was headed by general manager Rob Hennigan, who was fired in 2017.
Rob Hennigan Rumors
The Thunder announced seven internal promotions Tuesday for members of its front office. Most notably, Will Dawkins and Rob Hennigan will share the title of vice president of basketball operations. Troy Weaver, who spent the last three seasons in that role, and was with the Thunder for 12 total seasons, was hired by the Detroit Pistons in June as their new general manager.
Fortunately, an OKC official was close enough to Donnie Strack, the Thunder’s Vice President of Human and Player Performance, to get his attention. Get the refs, Strack was told. Tell them to stop the tipoff. As Strack ran onto the court, Rob Hennigan, OKC’s VP of Insight and Foresight, started corralling the Thunder’s players and coaches. He then joined the huddle near midcourt with Strack and the referees – crew chief Pat Fraher, Mark Lindsay and Ben Taylor. The officials soon called over the respective head coaches, Quin Snyder and Billy Donovan. Seconds later, they contacted the NBA, through its Digital Operations Center, where the league monitors every game played. Usually, the biggest issue on a given night at the DOC is to help referees determine whether or not to instant replay. This was different.
Amid a strange scene that ended with the cancellation of not just a game but the postponement NBA indefinitely, Strack remained himself. For those unfamiliar with the 6-foot-5 native of Indiana, his face may have exhibited urgency as he explained the scenario to the officials and motioned for Thunder assistant general manager Rob Hennigan to join the huddle. But Strack’s face maintained the same controlled concern he has when talking to players in pregame with a hand on their shoulder and an even tone.
Josh Robbins: The Magic’s last win over the Lakers at Staples Center occurred on Dec. 12, 2012. That was the Magic’s first game against Dwight Howard, and the victory arguably was the franchise’s biggest win during Rob Hennigan’s tenure as GM.
Frank Vogel on the hot seat?
And now Vogel finds himself in a predicament coaches dread: on the hot seat, unsure if his team’s front office will retain him for next season. Vogel is in a precarious spot. Between Vogel’s first and second seasons, the Magic fired Rob Hennigan as the team’s general manager, dismissed many other key figures within the basketball operations department and hired Jeff Weltman as the president of basketball operations and John Hammond as the general manager.
