Frank Vogel set to be fired as Lakers head coach
Vogel says he has not been told that he will be fired by the Lakers after his side’s poor season came to an end.
Frank Vogel has coached his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 48-year-old will reportedly be sacked on Monday.
“Frank Vogel has coached his final game for the Lakers, a decision that’s expected to be shared with him as soon as Monday, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
The Lakers beat the Nuggets 146-141 at Ball Arena on Sunday to finish the campaign with a 33-49 record.
Vogel signed a three-year deal in 2019 and received a one-year extension until 2022-23 this past offseason.
“I haven’t been told s***”
Vogel says he has not been told that he will be fired by the Lakers after his side’s poor season came to an end.
“I haven’t been told s*** and I’m going to enjoy tonight’s game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow,” Vogel said.
The Lakers, 2020 NBA championship winners, came into the season as Western Conference favorites but failed to live up to expectations due to injuries and an aging team and they were eliminated from playoff contention. Lakers had to contend with injuries to star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers’ search for Vogel’s replacement is expected to be a lengthy one, with no clear front-runner lined up.
Vogel’s team have finished the season in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, ranking 21st in defensive rating after finishing first in 2020-21 and third in 2019-20.
Monk praises Vogel
Malik Monk spoke about Vogel’s approach this season despite his position being called into question.
“He kept his cool the whole time, didn’t talk about no problems like that. Didn’t talk about anything like that, man. He came in and worked and always gave us a great game plan ... He was always about us. It was never really about him. And I praise him for that, man. I know that was pretty hard on him, but he never talked about it. He never changed his demeanor.”