The Phoenix Suns are one of the few teams left in the NBA without a head coach. After crashing out of the playoffs in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Suns fired head coach Monty Williams. In the subsequent weeks, the Bucks, Pistons, Rocks, and Sixers all named their new head coaches. That left the Suns and Raptors looking for a new leader.
In late May, ESPN reported that the Suns had narrowed their search down to Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, Kevin Young, and Jordi Fernández. However, Nurse was then hired by the Sixers. Now, ESPN is reporting that the Suns have found their next head coach.
- Read More: Pistons hiring Monty Williams
Suns Land on Vogel
After Nurse left the candidate pool, he was replaced in the final four by Frank Vogel, and that is, according to ESPN, the man the Suns have tapped to lead them next season. Vogel, 49, most recently coached the Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA title with the team in 2020. However, he was fired following the 2021-22 season after the Lakers missed the playoffs following a 33-49 regular season. Vogel did not coach for any teams during the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals.
Vogel first joined the NBA as a coach in 2001 as an assistant for the Celtics. A decade later, in 2011, he got his first head coaching gig with the Pacers. Vogel had been with Indiana since 2007. In 2016, Vogel moved to the Magic before heading to the Lakers in 2018. A defensively-minded coach, Vogel has coached the league's best defense three times in his career. However, expectations will be high for him in Phoenix. With minimal draft capital and a top-heavy core, the Suns are firmly in a win-now mentality. What do you think about Frank Vogel to the Suns? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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