Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird announced Thursday that Frank Vogel is out as head coach after five-plus seasons. He finishes his time with the Pacers with a regular-season record of 250-181 and a 31-30 playoff record, with two Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
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Bird coached IN from 1997-2000, and even though he guided the team to the 2000 NBA Finals, he still stepped down after that third season. He felt Vogel’s current style – favoring those willing to play physically on defense – was not the best fit for the team moving forward. “I wouldn’t do that to Kevin”, Bird said, pointing out he didn’t want to be his close friend’s boss. With those comments in mind, it appears as though the Pacers will be looking to hire an offensive-minded coach, although no candidates have been formally named at this time. Other GM’s were watching the Pacers/Raptors series, and Solomon Hill will probably get paid.
Of course, as we learned with this year’s Chicago Bulls, replacing a capable defensive-minded coach with one who can hopefully improve offensively flow doesn’t always work out as planned. He made the playoffs in every season aside from 2014-15 when they lost Paul George in the offseason.
The Indiana Pacers turned what was supposed to be a transitional season into one filled with promise. So far, Bird hasn’t quite figured out yet what to do with him when Vogel’s contract expires in the offseason. Jackson has a solid resume with 121 wins, and marked improvement in each of his three seasons at Golden State.
Larry Bird must find a new coach for the Pacers.
Bird has not yet said what he intends to do. It’s not unusual for coaches to go to bat for each other, but Spoelstra has a larger point to make: teams are not patient or loyal enough to those in his profession.
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“I don’t know what’s going to happen”, Bird told the Indianapolis Star. While Kevin McHale remains on the market, Bird stated Thursday that McHale won’t be a candidate for the Pacers now-vacant head coaching position. Vogel also grew up in New Jersey, so coaching near his home might hold a certain appeal. “We remade our franchise this year, completely recreated an identity, went through several shifts and played our best basketball down the stretch”. I really was waiting for Myles (Turner) to get in there. That’s why it’s fairly easy for me to feel grateful for being part of this organization for 21 years.
