The Orlando Magic have parted ways with head coach Stan Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith, the team announced in a statement Monday afternoon.
Van Gundy had a 259-135 regular season record in five seasons with Orlando. The Magic made the playoffs all five seasons with Van Gundy at the helm, going 31-28, including three Southeast Division titles and a 2009 Eastern Conference championship.
After going 37-29 during the truncated regular season, the Magic were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of this year's playoffs as All-Star Dwight Howard was forced to sit out the conclusion of the season due to back surgery.
The ouster of Van Gundy ends a tumultuous time for the Magic. In April, Van Gundy himself said that Howard had gone to Orlando management and said he would no longer play for the coach.
"I was told it was true by people in our management," Van Gundy said in April. "So right from the top."
Howard has denied he ever spoke to management on the subject or laid out an ultimatum that it was either he or Van Gundy.
Smith had been general manager since 2006 and also added the title of president of basketball operations in 2010. During his tenure, Smith presided over the longest extended period of success in the franchise's history.
However Smith's legacy may be his attempt at juggling the demands of Howard, who sought a trade out of Orlando this season before electing to sign an extension.
"These are the days you dread in this business," Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a statement Monday. "But we feel it's time for new leadership and new voices."
Prior to taking over the Magic in 2008, Van Gundy spent over two seasons as head coach of the Miami Heat.
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