The Pacers plan to be aggressive in free agency, Bird said. With Vogel gone, the Pacers are now in the market for a head coach. So far, Bird hasn’t quite figured out yet what to do with him when Vogel’s contract expires in the offseason. “I just came to the conclusion that I felt is necessary for these guys to hear a new voice”.
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Jan 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson and current ESPN commentator smiles before the start of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. The Pacers won the Central Division twice and went to the Eastern Conference Finals twice under Vogel.
“My experience has been, good coaches leave after three years”, Bird said.
This season, the seventh-seeded Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs following an 89-84 loss to the second-seeded Toronto Raptors in Game 7 on Sunday.
“It’s time for a new voice around here”, Bird began. He said that was the case with many of his coaches during his playing days in Boston.
The Pacers averaged 102.2 points per game in the regular season, which was 17th in the National Basketball Association. “When I tell people this, it’s not because I think I know it all – it’s because I experienced it as a player”.
The New York Post first reported the Knicks’ contact with Vogel’s representatives. “He’s the real deal”. He is expected to be a leading candidate for the Houston Rockets’ job.
“I think the Knicks wanted to see where Frank’s head is at”, Berman’s source said.
Bird ruled out the possibility of bringing in his former Celtic teammate Kevin McHale to replace Vogel.
“I would not do that to Kevin, to have him work for me”, Bird quipped. He spoke to Vogel by phone on Wednesday night and again for about 30 minutes on Thursday morning. “He was trying to talk me out of this decision”. “That can get completely out of control”.
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“Lastly, I want to give a huge thanks to Pacers fans in IN and across the country”. “We’re not going to have a problem getting a coach”.
