Is Wildwood Crest native Frank Vogel the right hire for the Sixers?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Sixers are hoping to find an upgrade on the bench after firing Doc Rivers following the team's second-round loss to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs.
In our running series of head coaching candidates for the Sixers, we continue with someone with local ties to the Philadelphia region: Frank Vogel.
Vogel, a Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, native, is on a list of candidates under consideration by the Sixers, according to Yahoo Sports. He interviewed with the team for the job this week, according to multiple reports.
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Who is Frank Vogel?
Vogel, 49, graduated from Wildwood High School in 1991. He's had three different stops in the NBA as a head coach at the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers.
Overall, Vogel has a 431-389 record as a head coach in the regular season and went 49-39 in the playoffs.
Vogel's most recent stop was in Los Angeles where he coached three seasons from 2019-22, including winning the NBA Finals in the bubble in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games.
But, Vogel was ousted two seasons later after dealing with injuries following the championship in his first season. He took the past season off and didn't coach in the NBA.
Before his time with the Lakers, Vogel spent two seasons with the Magic on a very young, rebuilding team. He was fired after the front office who hired him was replaced.
Vogel emerged during his run with the Pacers from 2010-2016. His Pacers teams made the playoffs in five of six seasons, including the conference finals two times, but they could never get past James and the Heat.
In 2001, Vogel landed his first job in the NBA as a video coordinator for the Boston Celtics under head coach Rick Pitino. He later became an assistant for the squad under Jim O'Brien, who replaced Pitino after he resigned midway through the season. Vogel was also an assistant with the Sixers during the 2004-2005 season.
Following his time with the Sixers, Vogel became an advanced scout for the Lakers and Washington Wizards.
Vogel played college hoops at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He transferred to the University of Kentucky in 1994, where he formed a relationship with Pitino and became the men's basketball team's student manager.
Pitino resurrected the team's junior varsity team in the following season, and Vogel played for them. The Wildwood Crest native graduated from Kentucky with a B.S. in biology in 1998.
Does it make sense?
Vogel is a veteran head coach with a proven track record in the league.
If you're looking for the Sixers to hire a defensive-minded coach, Vogel is your guy.
Vogel's Indiana squads were able to lock down teams on defense with Paul George on the perimeter and Roy Hibbert in the paint. He continued to have that success in Los Angeles with James and Davis. Embiid would be the perfect player to anchor Vogel's defense in Philly, especially after his performance during this past postseason where he was a menace guarding the rim.
While Vogel is a well regarded defensive mind, his team's aren't known for their creativity on offense. If Vogel gets the job, it would make sense to have a strong offensive assistant on his bench.
Hiring Vogel would be a homecoming for the Wildwood Crest native. He might not be as attractive as the other coaches the Sixers are considering, but he should be able to have success in Philly if hired with the team's veteran roster.
