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Court calls Mr. Mom back to bench

By DAVE SCHEIBER, Times Staff Writer
Published October 21, 2007

Head coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic reacts during the game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Amway Arena on October 10, 2007 in Orlando, Florida.
	[Getty Images]

For Stan Van Gundy and his wife, Kim, life is full of challenges these days - like getting their four kids settled in elementary, middle and high school after the big move from Miami to Orlando in August, not to mention revamping their new home.

"She's working very hard," Van Gundy, 48, said. "When you've got four kids running in four different directions, and especially in a new house that you've got to get furnished and work done on, that takes a lot of hours in a day. We're starting major construction things. So I think Kim's working a lot harder than I am."

Of course, the new coach of the Magic is working plenty hard on a construction project of his own, trying to rebuild the NBA team into a contender after finishes of 36-46 then 40-42 the past two seasons.

Those lackluster campaigns led to the firing of coach Brian Hill in late May and set the stage for the Billy Donovan fiasco in early June. The coach of the two-time defending national champion Florida Gators accepted the job but days later decided to return to Gainesville. That set in motion a frenzy of complex legal maneuvering, with Magic management ultimately agreeing to let Donovan out of his contract and offering refunds to anyone who had purchased season-ticket packages in the wake of his hiring.

Immediately, team officials turned their attention to the well-respected Van Gundy. He had been away from coaching for 22 months, following 12 years with the Heat: 10 as an assistant to Pat Riley, then two as head coach, leading it to a 112-73 record from 2003-05 and a 17-11 playoff mark.

In 2006, Van Gundy resigned 21 games into the season with an 11-10 record, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. Speculation had been swirling that Riley wanted to return as coach and he did just that, while his former protege faded into the background as a Heat scout and consultant - and family man.

Van Gundy relished his role as Mr. Mom, but the coaching bug returned about six months ago, so he began looking at the opportunities. The one with the Magic almost disintegrated because Miami demanded compensation for letting Van Gundy out of his consultant's contract. So he flew West to Sacramento, on the verge of accepting a job with the Kings.

But at the 11th hour, Orlando reached a compensation deal with its Southeast Division rival and sent Van Gundy a contract. He faxed it back from a Sacramento Kinkos, ending a frantic two weeks with the hiring of the franchise's ninth coach.

We met with Van Gundy before the team left for China to talk about his outlook for the Magic, which opens the regular season by hosting the Bucks on Oct.31, how he felt about being Orlando's second choice and how the prolonged break with his family changed him.

How would you describe the team's personality?

I think it's a group of guys that really wants to do it. It's an intelligent group, and they work very hard. The work ethic here is fantastic. They all came into camp in great shape. They work hard in the offseason. So it's a very willing group and a very hungry group to get it done.

Will the Magic have a more up-tempo style of play?

If it's up to me, it will be. But ultimately, and I've said it to them several times, it's up to them. If it gets to the point where it's obvious that guys will just not get down the floor, don't have the energy to do it, or don't have the willingness to do it, than we'll go to another style we think will be more effective for us. I'm not an ideologue here trying to sell a style of play. I'm trying to win basketball games. I think the best way for us to do that is to play at a faster pace.

Is there one thing you've been most pleased with since you've come here?

The fact that you've got a great, young big guy like (6-11 forward-center) Dwight Howard gives you a great guy to build around, and since he's come into camp, he's really tried to make improvements in his game. I think he's ready to start taking the next step from being a great talent to being a great player - and that's a big step. He's got great athleticism, great talent and can put up great numbers even while making a lot of mistakes. But I think he's dedicated to becoming a great player.

Are he and 6-10 forward Rashard Lewis a big part of the formula for success?

No question. Signing Rashard, now you've got two great people to build around. What you've just got to figure out, both as a front office and as a coach, is who do you put out there that helps those two guys the most. That's what most of the rest of your playing-time decisions come down to.

What did you learn about the game in your time away from it?

I don't know if I got a different perspective on the game, but eventually after a lot of time off you realize that you miss it. And this is what you want to do and what you've done your whole life. You just don't feel right away from the gym. It took me a long time. I'll be honest, after 16 or 17 months, it was great.

The kids obviously enjoyed their time with you while you were away from the game; is it hard for them to see you go back to coaching?

It's hard. Once camp started and I wasn't there as much, it was tough and I've had all of them say at one time or another in the past week to 10 days, "I don't really want you to coach again." And that's been really hard. They were very supportive of it at the time and I think as the reality hits, it's tougher.

But they're tough kids, they're well-grounded. They've got a great mother and four grandparents up here (in the Orlando area) and I do think in my time off, the perspective changed. I used to get up in the morning and leave before they ever got out of bed. I don't get up early enough now to see the younger ones. I still have taken my daughter to school every morning, which before, I never did. I get in a little bit later, and I get home in the afternoon. And at night, when they're doing homework, I'll sit at the table next to them and watch film or plan practice.

But I'm home - and it's changed my perspective a little. You can't change the travel. Still, I do think this go-round I'll keep a better balance than I did, not just first time as head coach, but all 10 years in Miami. They'll definitely know that I'm not abandoning them for the job, which, quite honestly, I had done in the past.

Are you coaching differently than the first time around?

No, it's the same thing, the same feeling. You just feel a tremendous responsibility to do the best job you can to give these guys a chance to win. Not only for the organization - and both this organization and the one in Miami have been great to me. But in both cases, the teams I took over are just great people. They're great guys in that locker room who work their a---- off. It's not going to be a lack of work on their part. So the responsibility I feel is on me to put these guys in the best possible position to win. I don't really feel pressure - just a tremendous responsibility.

Were there any red flags when you were talking to the Magic after Donovan returned to Florida - given that the club had wanted him so badly?

It didn't really concern me at all. No. 1, I totally understand why an organization would go after somebody like Billy. I mean, I've known Billy for a long time. I have tremendous respect for him. I think he's a great basketball coach and because he had played a little bit in the NBA - and just from the way he runs his program - he was a natural guy for people to look at as a college coach who could make the jump to the NBA. So at the time, when it first happened, I was a little disappointed. But at the same, I understood and moved on. And then when the opportunity came again - you can't worry about being first, second or third choice. An opportunity is an opportunity.

What constitutes a successful season for you?

I've been asked that question every year in a job. I don't know. And the reason I hesitate on that is you're as likely to undersell it as oversell it. If you start saying, "Oh, we want to get in the playoffs." Well, you tend to relax when you reach that goal. ... I think every NBA team is making a mistake if you're not starting the season thinking about winning a championship. Right now, we're all 0-0, so let's get out and get after it.

Lastly, since you're home more, do you help the kids with their homework?

Yeah, and every once in a while I'll get calls on the phone. I'm the math guy. My wife does all the writing. But my daughter is a sophomore in high school and I can't help her with anything now. My son in seventh grade, I can hang in with his math through the first semester, then he'll be on his own. But with the third- and fifth-graders, I'm still pretty good.

Dave Scheiber can be reached at scheiber@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8541.

FAST FACTS

Stan Van Gundy

Born: Aug. 26, 1959

Hometown: Indio, Calif.

College: SUNY-Brockport, B.A. English, B.S. physical education, played basketball for father Bill Van Gundy.

NBA coaching resume: 112-73 as head coach of the Miami Heat, 2003-05, 17-11 in the playoffs; spent 12 years with Heat, two as assistant coach under Pat Riley, six as assistant head coach, two as lead assistant.

Family: Brother Jeff Van Gundy was an NBA head coach for 11 seasons, most recently with Houston; wife Kim; four children, Shannon (16), Michael (13), Alison (10) and Kelly (8).

[Last modified October 20, 2007, 21:38:35]