Robb: Brad Stevens Goes To Bat For Former Pacers Coach Frank Vogel
BOSTON (CBS) – For two coaches that have never worked together directly, Brad Stevens and Frank Vogel have some deep roots. Vogel took over the Indiana Pacers head coaching job while Stevens was in the early years of his head coaching stint at Butler University. The pair lived close to each other in the Indianapolis area and shared the common thread of being young first-time head coaches under 40 years of age.
When Stevens elected to make the jump to the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2013, it was Vogel who was on the receiving end of some of Stevens' first calls for advice. So when Larry Bird made the decision on Thursday to cut Vogel loose in spite of the fact he had led Indiana to four playoff berths in the past five seasons, it's no surprise that Stevens went to bat for his long-time confidant.
"I think Frank's great," Stevens told Sirius XM NBA Radio on Friday. "I've always said that everybody has to make their own decisions for their organization, but what's very clear, not only being around him and being a friend of his, but also coaching against him and competing against him is he's one of the best. Everything will work out great for him because of the way that, not only his knowledge and his ability to coach, but just the kind of person he is. He is such a down-to-earth, regular guy and fun to be around.
"[He] is not a guy that asks for a lot of attention. Guys think the world of him. I'm also really skewed toward him because, part of the time we spent together when I was [coaching at nearby Butler University] in Indianapolis, when we lived a couple miles away was, we used to go to the same park. So, like, we used to go and our kids would play on the same swing sets. I know him not only as a coach, but as a dad and a person. He's exceptional. Things will work out well for him. It's unfortunate that that's the way it ended in Indy, but he did a great job in his six years there."
Stevens knows of what he speaks when it comes to Vogel's reputation along the league. The Knicks, Rockets and Grizzlies reportedly already have the new free agent on their radar as they attempt to fill their own head coach openings. Vogel has particularly strong ties to Memphis as he worked as a video coordinator there during Chris Wallace's tenure as Celtics GM. Wallace now runs the show for the Grizzlies.
Vogel's dismissal also speaks volumes about the volatile job status of most NBA coaches in the league where Stevens now ranks tied for sixth for longest tenured coach. After being given a six-year contract upon his hire in 2013, Danny Ainge continues to give his 39-year-old head coach a strong vote of confidence at every opportunity.
"I love Brad," Ainge said Wednesday. "You guys know how much I support him and enjoy being around him. He's been great for our franchise. I think he has a chance to be one of the best coaches ever if he decides to be an NBA coach for the rest of his life. I'm a big big fan. I think he's continuing to learn the game and learn the players and we're very very fortunate to have him as our coach."
That type of security is something that Stevens remains grateful for as he watches other coaching turmoil around the league.
"I'm so fortunate to be here and so fortunate to be a head coach here," Stevens said Friday, "Because there's obviously a lot of movement, but this is a great place to work and these are great people to work for. I have felt empowered every single day I've been here. That means that you feel like you made a great decision and I'm very fortunate."
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
