Getty NBA coach Frank Vogel
When looking back and evaluating the coaching history of Frank Vogel, it comes with a mixed bag of results. But the longtime NBA coach has plenty on his resume which explains why the Los Angeles Lakers have interest in him as their next head coach.
Vogel would be replacing Luke Walton and taking over a team led by future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James, but the Lakers dealt with their fair share of struggles and injuries in the 2018-19 season. When evaluating Vogel and his fit, we’ll take a look back at his own history, including where he’s coached and how he did in those jobs.
Frank Vogel’s Coaching Career Begins With Celtics, 76ers
As NBA.com detailed previously, Vogel spent time as the head video coordinator for the Boston Celtics under Rick Pitino from 1997-2001. But it was when Jim O’Brien was the head coach in Boston that led to Vogel receiving an opportunity as an assistant coach. He remained with the Celtics through 2004 before sticking with O’Brien for the foreseeable future.
After the stretch with the Celtics, Vogel was an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2004-2005 and then landed with O’Brien as a part of the Indiana Pacers organization in 2007. He remained as an assistant through 2011 before taking over as the interim head coach, replacing O’Brien in the process.
Frank Vogel Was the Head Coach for Pacers, Magic
Vogel’s head coaching career began in 2011, but he had to prove himself that season as an interim coach and was able to do just that. He led the Pacers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season which resulted in the team naming Vogel the full-time head coach following the year.
This is where Vogel had his most success at the NBA level, coaching the Pacers for just under six seasons and posting a 250-181 record. During that stretch, Indiana made the NBA playoffs five times, including multiple runs deep into the postseason.
Follow the Heavy Los Angeles Lakers page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
The Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals twice (2012-13 and 2013-14), and posted a 56-26 record in the latter season. They also made the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2011-12, which was only Vogel’s first full-time season as the team’s head coach. After the Pacers lost in the opening round of the 2015-16 playoffs to the Toronto Raptors in seven games, the team opted to part with Vogel.
During his time with the Pacers, Vogel became the winningest coach in the team’s NBA history. He technically sits behind Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard, who won 529 games in 12 years, although the bulk of his victories came in the ABA.
Shortly after this, he was hired by the Orlando Magic, who had won more than 25 games just once in the four seasons prior. Vogel went just 54-110 with the Magic before he was relieved of his duties after the 2017-18 season. Since that point, he’s been awaiting his next head coaching opportunity.
READ NEXT: NBA Finals Schedule 2019: Dates, Times & Championship Predictions