Sean Sweeney has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 13 seasons, bouncing around several different teams and collecting a lot of experience working with many different players and teams.
This is the life of an assistant. You are always working for someone else's vision. How you are judged is in how effective your piece of the puzzle can be.
But at each stop, there are always little things that someone picks up working around the league. A play idea, a drill, a philosophy that you store for when it is your show and when it is your time to be in the lead chair.
And all that time working with so many legendary coaches and with so many different teams is adding up all the ideas and concepts waiting for his turn to take the lead chair.
It is Sweeney's turn in the lead chair now. And it is an opportunity he has been hungry for and waiting for. A moment that he has been preparing for a long time to rise to meet.
"For me, coaching is not a profession, it's a vocation," Sweeney said in his introductory press conference. "I am going to work to my highest level to do the best job I can for this franchise and for the guys like this who are sitting here in front of us. It is 21 years of preparation that has brought me here. I'm ready for it. I'm excited to begin."
It is already clear Sweeney is bringing his own personality and intensity to the team. He is already establishing the kind of team and processes he wants.
He has taken things from all of his different stops and seen what works and what does not from a wide array of different experiences.
Now comes the work of putting that plan to action.
Sweeney's intensity stands out immediately
If one thing stood out about Sean Sweeney in his first introduction to Orlando, it was his focused intensity. This is someone who is confident in what he is planning for the Orlando Magic and will be direct with the team on how to get there.
His reputation as an elite defensive coach meshed well with the Magic's philosophy and vision for their team. It was clear why there was that connection.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said Sean Sweeney is someone who "knocked our socks off" in the interview process -- one that was strung out a bit with the San Antonio Spurs reaching the NBA Finals.
It is hard not to see that.
"In Sean Sweeney, we have somebody who, in our minds, has the potential to be one of the elite coaches in this league," Weltman said during Sweeney's press conference. "He's a direct communicator. He has a mastery of the material. He has an understanding of how this is supposed to work from a player standpoint to a team standpoint and how the big picture all melds together in producing a winning team."
Stories of his direct communication style and intensity also rang true. He is not someone who is easing into his new job. And he is already previewing he is unafraid to speak harshly and directly to his players.
There is no time or energy to waste when they are working.
As an assistant, Sweeney's direct approach helped players improve and grow.
That is just how he operates. And sticking to his details is vital to his success.
He might hurt some feelings, but you will be better by the direct approach.
"We're going to be prepared," Sweeney said of his philosophy during his press conference. "We're going to be attentive. That's going to be active attention. I'm going to listen to you guys as much as I talk to you. How I talk to you may be different than how I listen. We're going to lead with purpose. We're not going to react but lead with intention. We're going to be consistent. I want to be the most consistent person that I can. I want to be the most consistent person when I come into this building. That's how we plan to be as a team."
Every coach knows how vital it is for teams to be focused and detail-oriented. The packaging might be a bit different but that is still the essence of the job.
Sweeney stands out for his intensity. It was clear that he will be very purposeful with everything he will do in the lead chair.
Hitting the ground running
Sean Sweeney is hitting the ground running with a team that has expectations to win immediately. This is not a coach taking on a rebuilding team like it was five years. That this team is ready to compete was an attraction for someone like Sweeney waiting for his chance.
Sweeney's intensity and urgency are necessary. The team may not be setting the high expectations by name again, but Sweeney made it clear that the team is setting its expectations high, and the team expects to meet that high bar.
Sweeney said it is his job to take the roster he has been given and get them to the next level. Everyone is feeling that pressure to take the next step after three first-round exits -- and the additional salary cap pressures that are hanging over this team.
"A lot of what Sean is talking about is what equals success in April, May and June," Jeff Weltman said during the press conference. "Those are the things we have to get to first. If you take care of those things, the wins will follow. We do believe we have the players and have the timeline and Sean at the helm to get us where we need to get."
The Magic understood the biggest move they would make this offseason was their coaching hire. There is no science to finding that right coach.
The task now is to build trust and build the million little things that lead to success. Everyone is hungry to experience it.
Sweeney will be expected to deliver a lot for this team. He will need to dive headfirst into the challenge.
But this is what he has been waiting for.
"To me, I love coaching," Sweeney said to Orlando Magic Daily and the Orlando Sentinel. "Every part of it is exciting. Whether it is starting and building right now or getting to the games and being in competition or hopefully having the chance to be in the postseason and make some noise. The whole thing is exciting to me."
As much as anyone can prepare for this moment, Sweeney is ready.
