The Phoenix Suns have become the latest team to dismiss their coach after the 2023-24 season. As revealed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday, Frank Vogel is officially out for the Suns as they begin their search for a suitable replacement.
“ESPN Sources: The Phoenix Suns dismissed coach Frank Vogel. The Suns — who won 49 regular-season games with the league’s third-highest payroll and tax — were swept in opening-round series to Timberwolves,” wrote Woj on X. “Mike Budenholzer will be a prominent part of the search. Suns will hire a third head coach in three years now after Vogel is ousted one season into his contract.”
Vogel was hired just last summer to replace Monty Williams. Hand-picked by team owner Mat Ishbia himself, Frank’s defensive expertise was a major influence in his landing the job and it was believed that his coaching could help cover up some of the Suns’ most glaring flaws.
Instead, Vogel led a disconnected locker room that struggled to get on the same page all season long. While the Suns managed to rank as an average defensive team under Vogel, they weren’t able to close games in the fourth quarter and it cost them greatly until the very end.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, the Suns had no answer at all on how to stop Anthony Edwards and company, who were doing whatever they wanted on the floor. Now, after being swept in round one, Vogel is seemingly the scapegoat for their failures and it will be interesting to see if the next coach that comes in is able to make any kind of difference.
As for Vogel, he can’t be too upset about getting paid millions to coach for a single season but many believe this was his last chance to be a head coach in the NBA. Others, however, think another team should consider giving him a call.
Will Frank Vogel Return To The Lakers?
Not even hours after Frank Vogel’s dismissal was made public, fans began to speculate about what might be next for the veteran coach. While he could just as easily take a break from the NBA, or accept a front-office role somewhere, Vogel would make an interesting candidate to replace the recently fired Darvin Ham.
Of course, Vogel has coached the Lakers before and it didn’t end on a particularly positive note. After a bitter season with Russell Westbrook ended in drama, Vogel was the scapegoat and his exit was swift. But now, after admitting defeat on Ham, the idea of bringing back a familiar name sounds appealing to many fans.
Besides his experience of leading LeBron James and Anthony Davis to a championship back in 2020, his defensive-first coaching style plays to the Lakers’ strengths as a slower, bigger, and more physical team overall.
But with the NBA playoffs still ongoing and months to go before free agency, the Lakers are in no rush to find a coach right now and Vogel is in no rush to accept a job with his old team. The process is likely to be long and complex, and Vogel is likely to be just one of several names that they will consider for the job next season.