Magic name Anthony Parker GM, Stan Heath head coach of Lakeland G-League team
ORLANDO MAGIC PRESS RELEASE
ORLANDO, Fla.-- The Lakeland Magic, the NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, have named Anthony Parker general manager and Stan Heath head coach, Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced Tuesday. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed.
“With Anthony (Parker) and Stan (Heath), we have established solid basketball leadership for our G League team in Lakeland,” said Weltman. “Having our G League team closely aligned and in unison with the parent club is vital to our success. Bringing Anthony and Stan on board to guide those operations and lead that group will be of great value to us.”
Parker has spent the last five seasons as a scout with the Orlando Magic. Originally selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft by New Jersey, he played in 494 career NBA regular season games (423 starts) during nine seasons (1997-2000, 2006-12) with Philadelphia, Orlando, Toronto and Cleveland, averaging 9.1 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 2.3 apg. in 27.8 minpg., while shooting .404 (596-1,474) from three-point range. Parker also appeared and started in 22 career NBA playoff contests, averaging 10.9 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 1.00 stlpg. in 34.9 minpg., while shooting .407 (33-81) from three-point range.
Parker also spent six seasons (2000-06) playing professionally in Europe – five seasons in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv and one in Italy with Lottomatica Roma. While with Maccabi, he helped them capture five Israeli Super League national championships, five Israeli National Cups and three European titles (two EuroLeague championships and one FIBA SuproLeague championship). Parker was named EuroLeague MVP in both 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Parker played at Bradley University for four seasons from 1993-97. He completed his collegiate career as one of only two players in school history (joining Hersey Hawkins) to finish in the school’s top 10 all-time lists in scoring (1,683 points, eighth), assists (355, ninth), steals (159, seventh) and blocked shots (78, fifth). Parker was named Most Valuable Player of the Missouri Valley Conference following his junior season (1995-96) and was honored as one of 15 players named to Bradley’s All-Century basketball team in 2003.
Parker also excelled academically while at Bradley. As a chemistry major, Parker was a two-time recipient of the Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Scholarship, given annually to an African-American student who does outstanding work in the field of chemistry. He switched his major during his senior year to liberal arts and science.
Heath has spent the last two seasons (2015-17) as an assistant coach at Boston College. He served as head coach at Kent State University, the University of Arkansas and the University of South Florida, compiling a record of 209-206 (.504) from 2001-14. Heath guided all three schools to the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2002 with Kent State.
Heath began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Hillsdale College (Mich.) in 1988. After the 1988-89 campaign, he moved on to Albion College (Mich.), where he served as an assistant coach and the junior varsity head coach for two seasons (1989-91). Heath then worked at Wayne State University (Mich.) for three seasons, including associate head coach in 1994 when the Tartars set a school-record with 25 victories. Wayne State also reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1993.
After two seasons as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University (1994-96), Heath joined Tom Izzo’s staff as an assistant coach at Michigan State University for five seasons (1996-2001). During his time in East Lansing, the Spartans made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Final Four (1999-2001), captured the 2000 NCAA National Championship and had a combined record of 132-37 (.781).
Heath was hired as head coach at Kent State University. During his only season (2001-02) at Kent State, he guided the Golden Flashes to a 30-6 record, setting a school and Mid-American Conference record for victories in a season. Kent State captured the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, before falling to Indiana University in the South regional finals. They became the first MAC school since 1964 (Ohio University) to reach the Elite Eight.
Heath then served as head coach at the University of Arkansas for five seasons (2002-07), compiling a record of 82-71 (.536). The Razorbacks posted 20-win campaigns in both 2005-06 and 2006-07 and received berths into the NCAA Tournament. Following his time at Arkansas, he was head coach at the University of South Florida for seven seasons (2007-14), posting a record of 97-129 (.429). Heath led the Bulls to a pair of 20-win seasons (2009-10, 2011-12), a berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12 and a trip to the NIT in 2009-10.
Heath earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from Eastern Michigan University in 1988, where he was a member of the basketball team and garnered three varsity letters. He also went on to receive his master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State University in 1993. Heath and his wife, Ramona, have two sons, Jordan and Joshua.
