March 5, 1997
Brian Hill, Head Coach of the Orlando Magic for the last three seasons, was officially relieved of his duties on February 18th. The coaching change in Orlando became common knowledge two days earlier, however, when NBC studio analyst Peter Vecsey announced the firing of Hill following the nationally televised Magic-Bulls game.
The mid-season shake up by the Magic organization was reportedly sparked by a players' meeting with Magic GM John Gabriel, which reflected a frustrated team. They complained that Coach Hill had lost the confidence of the players, and that they were still running the same offensive sets as when Shaquille was in the Magic line-up. The players had lost the motivation and enthusiasm that had taken the Magic to the NBA Finals in '95 and to the Atlantic Division title last season.
With 11 years in the NBA, Brian Hill takes with him an impressive record of 167-79 (.679), which ranks behind only Pat Riley and Phil Jackson for active coaches. Orlando General Manager John Gabriel praised Brian Hill for his accomplishments with the Magic, but ultimately stated that the organization needed a change to progress to the next level.
Hills' Assistant Coach, Richie Adubato, formally took over the top spot (announced by John Gabriel) after five straight wins following the coaching change. Orlando swept past Portland, Denver, Indiana, Detroit and division leading Miami in Adubato's 5-0 start. Adubato, who had coached Brian Hill in college, has 18 years of NBA experience, with coaching stints in Detroit, Cleveland and Dallas.
Other NBA coaches who had been mentioned as possible replacements for Hill include former San Antonio coach Bob Hill, former Detroit coach Chuck Daly, and Kentucky's Rick Pitino.
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