ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles stepped down as team's head coach, general manager Rob Hennigan announced Thursday.
The Magic said it will begin a search for a new head coach immediately.
Scott Skiles has informed the Orlando Magic that he is stepping down as head coach. The Magic will begin a search effective immediately.
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) May 12, 2016
According to a news release, Skiles said that he came to the conclusion that he was not the right head coach for the team.
“Therefore, effective immediately, I resign my position as head coach of the Orlando Magic," Skiles said. "I realize this type of decision can cause much speculation. The reality though is in the first sentence. It is simple and true. Any other rumors are pure conjecture.”
Skiles, 52, became the 12th head coach for the Orlando Magic in May 2015.
“While we understand it was a challenging season, we reluctantly have accepted Scott’s (Skiles) resignation,” Hennigan said. “We appreciate Scott instilling a culture of accountability and certainly wish him and his family well.”
During his first season with the Magic, Orlando finished with a 35-47 record, a 10-game improvement from the previous season. The Magic went 9-6 during November, marking their first winning month since March 2012, then an Eastern Conference-best 10-5 during December.
Skiles was also named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December 2015.
2014-15 v. 2015-16 Orlando Magic | PointAfter