When the Magic hired Jamahl Mosley as coach three years ago, the hope was that he would be a critical part of the franchise’s turnaround, a coach who could both develop young players and build a culture.
Three years later, that is paying off. The 37-28 Magic sit fifth in the East, a young and improving team with a stout defense about to get its first taste of playoff basketball. With that, the Magic announced that they have extended Mosley’s contract, which now runs through the end of the 2027-28 season.
“Jamahl and his staff have done a tremendous job not only this season, but since we hired him back in 2021,” Orlando president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “His preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players, and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off. We are very happy to have Jamahl lead the Magic for years to come.”
Orlando’s front office and Mobley have built a defense-first team — fifth-best D in the NBA this season — around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. It’s a team that has grown over time, winning 22 games Mosley’s first season, 34 last season and they are on pace for the mid-40s in wins this season. All that development has Mosley in the conversation for coach of the year.
Smart franchises keep a coach overseeing that kind of turnaround happy and that’s just what Orlando did.
