The Indiana Pacers have let Frank Vogel go. What’s next?
The last few days have been chaotic for the Indiana Pacers. After losing Game 7 the idea that Frank Vogel wasn’t coming back was little more than a whisper. Then suddenly Larry Bird was twisting the knife in Frank’s back as he wished him well.
The coaching search has begun and most Indiana Pacers fans are still getting the idea that Frank’s gone settled in their mind.
Here to sort through the rubble is the 8 Points, 9 Seconds Staff as they answer a few questions on what happened, and what’s next.
Frank Vogel isn’t coming back. What’s your initial reaction and what are you going to miss about him?
Whitney Medworth: I’m not shocked. One because we heard rumblings immediately after Game 7 on Sunday and two because we kind of knew this was coming at some point. I think it is time for a change, you just hope Larry delivers a coach. Frank genuinely seemed like a good guy that loved the Pacers and Indianapolis. I’ll miss that.
Dave Searle: This isn’t fair. A guy who consistently produced Top-10 defenses and who hasn’t missed the playoffs with Paul George healthy is looking for a job (won’t be for long, though). The guy who got Roy F’ing Hibbert to the All-Star game (twice!) lost his job. It’s the kind of shortsighted, reactionary move that hurts unwise NBA franchises.
Jacky Neal: Somewhat disappointed. It’s kind of sad to see a good coach and, by all accounts, a good guy loses his job despite being successful regardless of the hand dealt to him. I’m going to miss the Vogel Weave the most. That was an awesome end-of-half play and fun to watch. I’ll also miss him turn into “Jersey Frank” and get technicals, which seemed so out of his character.
Ryan Eggers: I was really shocked when I heard the news. I knew he wasn’t Bird’s cup of tea but I thought Vogel had done more than enough to stay. I’ll miss his defensive genius, but I’ll probably miss the stability more than anything. It was nice having a franchise that for the most part held the same core for a number of years.
Ryan Barth: Shocked — he deserved another year at the very least. Just because his contract ran out, doesn’t mean he needed to be shown the door. I’m going to miss his defense as will next year’s coach.
Next: The Pros and Cons of letting Frank Vogel walk.