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The 10 Greatest Coaches in Indiana Pacers History

By Jon Washburn

Mar 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel calls out a play from the bench in the second half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Brooklyn Nets beat the Indiana Pacers by the score of 123-111. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel calls out a play from the bench in the second half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Brooklyn Nets beat the Indiana Pacers by the score of 123-111. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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#3. Frank Vogel

Frank Vogel
Frank Vogel /

Overall: 197-139  

Playoff Record: 28-26

  • 2010-11: 20-18  8th in East; 1-4 in Playoffs
  • 2011-12: 42-24  3rd in East, reached Conference Semi-Finals; 6-5 in Playoffs
  • 2012-13: 49-32  3rd in East, reached Conference Finals; 11-8 in Playoffs
  • 2013-14: 56-26  1st in East, reached Conference Finals; 10-9 in Playoffs
  • 2014-15: 30-39

Frank Vogel was a little-known defensive-minded assistant coach when he took over for the disastrous Jim O’Brien in the middle of the 2010 season.

Almost immediately, he gave the Indiana Pacers an identity, and turned them into a tough-nosed, defensive juggernaut that gave the top-seeded Chicago Bulls all they could handle in five — close and competitive — first-round games.

The next year, Vogel devised an ingenuous defensive system around a slow, almost immobile big man named Roy Hibbert, and the Pacers finally escaped a half-decade of mediocrity. Vogel’s teams were consistently out-classed from a talent standpoint over the next three playoff stretches, but were rarely out-coached en route to giving LeBron James and Dwyane Wade everything and more in three consecutive trips to the playoffs.

In less than five seasons, Vogel has become the winningest coach in Pacers history, and will most likely be in Indiana for years to come.

According to Indiana’s television broadcaster, Chris Denari, one of Vogel’s best traits has been his consistency. “I have known Frank for a long time, and he did not change from when he was an assistant to when he became the head coach,” said Denari. Throughout many of the Pacers’ struggles in the end of 2014, Larry Bird remained steadfastly in support of Vogel, and his presence has given stability to the entire organization, which has been able to develop a real culture in a league where most franchises seek to reinvent themselves every two or three seasons.

“There are so many brand new coaches and veteran coaches in the [NBA], but Vogel is easily one of the top ten coaches in the league,” said Denari. “He’s only five years in, and he’s got more longevity than most coaches in the entire league.”

Early on, there was some concern that Vogel didn’t have the right temperament for the professional ranks and that this nice-guy routine would wear thin closely. But that hasn’t been the case, and Denari looks at him similarly as he does another young, rising coach with Indiana ties.

“When you look at the relationships that he has with his players, [Vogel] and Brad Stevens are very similar,” said Denari. “The way that they relate to their players is a little different than how a lot of coaches do it … Some people have it, and some people don’t, but Vogel has the ability to praise and reward, but also be critical in a genuine way, and it has given him his success. When ‘Jersey Frank’ gets mad, his players know it’s real. But I see enough of it to know that he has real relationships with his players.”

Next: Up Next: #2. The Grand Teacher

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