ORLANDO — For recently hired Orlando Magic head coach Sean Sweeney, the journey he is about to embark on is a completely new one.

Sure, Sweeney has spent time with several organizations throughout his career, but now he must adjust to not only another new organization in the Magic, but to the highest point he has ever been in his career.

After spending a decade and a half working as an assistant across various organizations, Sweeney took another leap last season when he joined Mitch Johnson’s staff on the San Antonio Spurs as associate head coach. It was a big role for Sweeney, and he quickly became an invaluable, complimentary piece for Johnson. Now, he will be a head coach for the first time.

For the first time in six years, San Antonio made the playoffs. Not only that, but it went to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2013-14. 

Undoubtedly, a lot of the Spurs’ success can be credited to franchise player Victor Wembanyama returning to the floor with a clean bill of health after his 2024-25 campaign was cut short due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, as well as the emergence of other young talent on the roster, such as Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell.

Having De’Aaron Fox healthy was a plus as well, considering the two-time All-Star also missed the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign due to surgery to repair a tendon on his left hand. Even though health was on their side, Sweeney’s role on the team as Johnson’s top assistant went a long way, especially when he was in charge of a defense that ranked third in defensive rating during the regular season and second in the playoffs.

The job Sweeney did made him a coveted head-coaching candidate, and the Magic did not waste time pursuing him. Now that Sweeney is in Orlando, he looks back fondly on his time with Johnson and the Spurs.

"Mitch just said, 'Go be yourself. Good luck, go be yourself,'" Sweeney said at his introductory press conference on Thursday. "No, he didn't give me any motivational messages, but Mitch and I have had talks throughout the course of the season, and he's been a great resource for me because he, as a first-time head coach, has gone through a lot of the things that I'm getting ready to go through. So, he's been great for me."

Sweeney also praised former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who still remains involved in the organization despite his increasing age and health ailments.

"Coach Pop's office was right next to me, right next to mine, and [I] was very fortunate," Sweeney said. "You know, when you're next to a guy who's the greatest coach of all time daily, the fact that he even said hello and knew my name meant something to me. 

"So, yeah, Coach Pop was, I mean, he built that program," Sweeney added. "And guys like me are fortunate to be part of it and very grateful, and that's part of the reason why I'm here now."

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