Frank Vogel leaving the Los Angeles Lakers has been expected for a while now, with an Adrian Wojnarowski tweet more or less confirming that it would happen a day ago. While Vogel claimed that he ‘hadn’t been told sh*t’ in a press conference on Sunday, the Lakers have now officially announced that Vogel will be leaving the organization after the conclusion of a very poor season.
Reports about players texting during games, and Vogel’s difficult relationship with Russell Westbrook have come to light in recent days, and the inevitable has finally occurred, with potential targets for the Lakers like Nick Nurse and Doc Rivers already being discussed by the media. In their announcement, though, the Lakers thanked Vogel for his services and Rob Pelinka released a statement elaborating on the announcement a little.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 11, 2022
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court,” said Rob Pelinka, the Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. “Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”
Vogel led the team to a championship in 2020 during the Bubble and could claim a winning record for 2 of the three seasons he spent with the franchise. Vogel managed to bag 127 wins during his time coaching the Lakers, and oversaw 98 losses, giving him an overall winning record despite the abysmal 2021-22 campaign.
Where the Lakers go from here remains to be seen, although, with a lot of the candidates named currently coaching teams that have qualified for the playoffs, the next coach will likely be appointed after the postseason has concluded. Frank Vogel’s future is uncertain as well, although, with his pedigree and championship-winning experience, surely another coaching gig won’t be tough for him to find.
