Orlando, FL – Brian Hill, who coached the Magic to three 50-plus win seasons and to the 1995 NBA Finals, has been named the Orlando Magic’s head coach, President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Weide announced today.

“As we went through this process and talked to several candidates, we kept coming back to one guy – Brian Hill,” said Vander Weide. “Brian brings to the table many of the qualities we were looking for throughout this process. He is experienced, disciplined, structure oriented and excellent in regard to game preparation and in-game strategy.”

“In addition he brings a great deal of energy to the post,” added Vander Weide. “The bottom line: the organization is excited to have him back and it just feels right.”

Hill had been on the New Jersey Nets coaching staff, serving as an assistant since January 2004. Prior to that, he spent two seasons (2001-02, 2002-03) as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets.

Spanning more than 30 years, Hill’s NBA coaching career began in 1986, serving as an assistant to Mike Fratello in Atlanta. After four seasons in Atlanta (during which the Hawks were 200-128, .609), Hill joined the Orlando Magic as an assistant to Matt Guokas in 1990. After three seasons, he was promoted to head coach prior to the 1993-94 campaign.

The impact of Hill’s promotion was immediate, as the Magic improved their record by 11 wins in his first season, finishing 50-32 (.610, then a franchise record for most wins), and reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The following season, Hill guided the Magic to a 57-25 (.695) record, the Atlantic Division title and a trip to the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. The team’s success also translated into individual accolades for Hill, as he was named head coach of the 1995 Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Hill followed up his record-setting 1994-95 season by leading the Magic to a 60-22 (.732) mark the following year, a franchise record that still stands. He also led the Magic to their second consecutive Atlantic Division crown, as the team advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual NBA Champion Chicago Bulls.

During his three-and-a-half seasons as head coach with the Magic, Hill’s teams posted a 191-104 (.647) record. His home record while in Orlando was 122-26 (.824), including 40 consecutive wins spanning from March 12, 1995 through March 19, 1996. Hill’s wins over his first three seasons (167) is third in NBA history, trailing just Phil Jackson (183) and Paul Westphal (177). He also ranks as the seventh-fastest head coach to reach 100 victories, accomplishing the feat in 149 games. Hill was relieved of his head coaching duties with the Magic on February 18, 1997.

Hill was named head coach of the Vancouver Grizzlies prior to the 1997-98 season. As the third head coach in franchise history, he took over a team that had won just 14 games in 1996-97. The Grizzlies improved by five games under the first year of Hill’s leadership, as they finished 19-63 (.232) for the 1997-98 season. The team managed just eight wins during the shortened 1998-99 NBA season, posting an 8-42 (.160) mark. Hill’s career with the Grizzlies came to an end 22 games into the 1999-00 season. The Grizzlies were 4-18 at the time of his departure.

Hill’s coaching career includes high school and 17 years at the collegiate level. He began his college coaching career as an assistant at Montclair State (New Jersey) in 1972, and held assistant coaching positions at Lehigh University and Penn State. He was the head coach at Lehigh for eight seasons. Hill was born in East Orange, New Jersey and attended high school at Our Lady of the Valley before attending Kennedy College in Nebraska. He graduated from Kennedy in 1969, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education while becoming a three-year starter on the basketball team and lettering in track. In addition to his coaching experience, Hill served as the co-host of “NBA Match-Up” on ESPN during the 2000-01 season and continues to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research. Hill and his wife, Kay, have two children: Kimberly and Christopher.

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