Stan Van Gundy considering career in politics after coaching

Like most Americans, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was fed up with the government’s protracted fight over the national debt ceiling.

Unlike most Americans, Van Gundy wants to do something about it.

Van Gundy, who enjoys watching political shows and reading magazines such as Time and Newsweek in his free time, said he’s thought about pursuing a career in politics once he’s done coaching. He isn’t sure what level of politics, but he has seriously considered the possibility.

“I don’t like what’s going on,” Van Gundy said of the recent happenings in Washington, D.C. “I think sometimes you can sit around and complain. Look, I want to coach for as long as I can. But when that’s done — depending on where my family situation is — yeah, I’d think about it. I certainly would think about it.

“I’m fed up with the people in our government. Because I’m fed up, instead of complaining about it, I plan to do something about it.”

It’s not unheard of for former sports figures to dabble in politics in today’s world. Former NBA all-star Kevin Johnson is the mayor of Sacramento, legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was elected to congress and ex-Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006.

And several former athletes eventually became presidents — such as Gerald Ford (won two football national titles at Michigan), Dwight Eisenhower (started at running back for Army when Army was good) and Ronald Reagan (two-sport star at Eureka) — although Van Gundy said he’d never want to be president because “I don’t know if I’m smart enough for that; I want someone smarter than me to be president.”

Van Gundy wouldn’t say what political party he’d support for fear of offending any fans or misrepresenting the Magic organization. While his salary puts him in the Republican tax bracket, he’s clearly an anti-establishment — or at least anti-Stern — sort of guy, so it’s tough to really put a finger on his political ideals.

Van Gundy did say it’d be difficult for him to get elected in the swing state of Florida, but he meant that more as an indictment on certain politicians than any political party.

“I think some of my political views would be tough for me to get elected from where I live — let’s put it that way,” he said. “I see the views that people use to get elected, and I’m not sure I’m on that side. I might just be setting myself up for defeat.”

For the record, Van Gundy is registered in Seminole County but didn’t designate a party affiliation.