Malone Brings Veteran Experience to Magic Bench
By Nick Adams | September 21, 2007
With the addition of Stan Van Gundy as the new Orlando Magic head coach this offseason, four new assistants will be joining him on the sidelines.
Among them will be Brendan Malone, who joined the Magic as an assistant coach on June 27 and brings nearly 20 years of NBA coaching experience to Orlando. Most recently, he served as a scout for Cleveland and helped the Seattle SuperSonics for three months.
Malone was named an assistant coach the same day the team announced that Patrick Ewing, Bob Beyer and Steve Clifford would be joining Van Gundy on the Orlando bench.
When Malone heard Stan Van Gundy was hired, he gave Stan a call and asked to interview for an assistant coaching position. Malone was in Ocean City, New Jersey when he received the good news.
“I was elated,” stated Malone. “The fact that I have been out for a year and a half and getting back in is a good feeling.”
Brendan and Stan have known each other casually for a long time. They first met years ago at a five-star basketball camp in Vermont. Malone had also worked with Stan’s brother Jeff Van Gundy in New York from 1997-2000.
In addition, Malone has been an assistant to the Knicks on two other occasions (1986-1988 and 2003-2004). He was also an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers for three seasons (2000-03) and in 1995 was named the first-ever head coach of the expansion Toronto Raptors.
After spending one season with the Raptors, he joined Seattle as a consultant during the SuperSonics’ run to the 1996 NBA Finals. Prior to that, Malone spent seven seasons (1988-95) as an assistant coach with Detroit, helping the Pistons win back-to-back World Championships in 1989 and 1990 under head coach Chuck Daly. He has also served as an assistant coach in three NBA All-Star Games (1990, 2000 and 2003).
Malone began his coaching career at New York’s legendary Power Memorial Academy in 1968 and decades later would be enshrined into the New York City Catholic Sports Hall of Fame (1993). Malone has also worked as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at Fordham, Yale and Syracuse, before becoming the head coach at the University of Rhode Island.
In all his years on the bench, Malone acknowledges the championship squads that he's been a part of to be the greatest experiences.
“Every time we won three city championships at Power Memorial Academy; or the back to back championships with the Pistons. Winning those championships are unforgettable experiences”
Out of all his experiences in at all different levels, Coach Malone prefers the NBA game.
“I prefer the pros," Malone said. "You love to be head coach because you have a vision and you get the opportunity to see that vision come full circle.
“Any job is exciting. Because it’s all basketball. It’s all about wins and loses and if you win you stay, if you lose your fired, and we know that.
“The competition between the coaches and players is what turns you on. The satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing in some way to making the head coaches job easier is what I enjoy about being an assistant.”
Expectations are high for Malone and the entire coaching staff this season, taking over a team that reached the playoffs during 2006-07 for the first time in three seasons.
“Stan has made it known to the team as early as now in formal meetings that we want to be known as best defensive team in the NBA,” Malone said.
“We are working very hard by repetition and paying attention to detail. If we can sustain our effort defensively, it will allow us to win any game.”
Malone then went on to say how important the Magic fans’ support will be this season.
“Our fan support is going to be very important for our team to get energized on both ends of the floor and their loyalty through good times and bad will be crucial to our team’s success.”
Malone arrived in Orlando in mid-August and said he is slowly getting acclimated and enjoys the Orlando area. Malone was praiseful of the Magic organization, saying they are a first class organization from top to bottom.
Malone graduated from Iona College and later earned a master’s degree in physical education from New York University. He and his wife, Maureen, have six children, Cara, Brendan, Kevin, Kelly, Michael and Shannon.
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Among them will be Brendan Malone, who joined the Magic as an assistant coach on June 27 and brings nearly 20 years of NBA coaching experience to Orlando. Most recently, he served as a scout for Cleveland and helped the Seattle SuperSonics for three months.
Malone was named an assistant coach the same day the team announced that Patrick Ewing, Bob Beyer and Steve Clifford would be joining Van Gundy on the Orlando bench.
When Malone heard Stan Van Gundy was hired, he gave Stan a call and asked to interview for an assistant coaching position. Malone was in Ocean City, New Jersey when he received the good news.
“I was elated,” stated Malone. “The fact that I have been out for a year and a half and getting back in is a good feeling.”
Brendan and Stan have known each other casually for a long time. They first met years ago at a five-star basketball camp in Vermont. Malone had also worked with Stan’s brother Jeff Van Gundy in New York from 1997-2000.
In addition, Malone has been an assistant to the Knicks on two other occasions (1986-1988 and 2003-2004). He was also an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers for three seasons (2000-03) and in 1995 was named the first-ever head coach of the expansion Toronto Raptors.
After spending one season with the Raptors, he joined Seattle as a consultant during the SuperSonics’ run to the 1996 NBA Finals. Prior to that, Malone spent seven seasons (1988-95) as an assistant coach with Detroit, helping the Pistons win back-to-back World Championships in 1989 and 1990 under head coach Chuck Daly. He has also served as an assistant coach in three NBA All-Star Games (1990, 2000 and 2003).
Malone began his coaching career at New York’s legendary Power Memorial Academy in 1968 and decades later would be enshrined into the New York City Catholic Sports Hall of Fame (1993). Malone has also worked as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at Fordham, Yale and Syracuse, before becoming the head coach at the University of Rhode Island.
In all his years on the bench, Malone acknowledges the championship squads that he's been a part of to be the greatest experiences.
“Every time we won three city championships at Power Memorial Academy; or the back to back championships with the Pistons. Winning those championships are unforgettable experiences”
Out of all his experiences in at all different levels, Coach Malone prefers the NBA game.
|
“Any job is exciting. Because it’s all basketball. It’s all about wins and loses and if you win you stay, if you lose your fired, and we know that.
“The competition between the coaches and players is what turns you on. The satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing in some way to making the head coaches job easier is what I enjoy about being an assistant.”
Expectations are high for Malone and the entire coaching staff this season, taking over a team that reached the playoffs during 2006-07 for the first time in three seasons.
“Stan has made it known to the team as early as now in formal meetings that we want to be known as best defensive team in the NBA,” Malone said.
“We are working very hard by repetition and paying attention to detail. If we can sustain our effort defensively, it will allow us to win any game.”
Malone then went on to say how important the Magic fans’ support will be this season.
“Our fan support is going to be very important for our team to get energized on both ends of the floor and their loyalty through good times and bad will be crucial to our team’s success.”
Malone arrived in Orlando in mid-August and said he is slowly getting acclimated and enjoys the Orlando area. Malone was praiseful of the Magic organization, saying they are a first class organization from top to bottom.
Malone graduated from Iona College and later earned a master’s degree in physical education from New York University. He and his wife, Maureen, have six children, Cara, Brendan, Kevin, Kelly, Michael and Shannon.
