Suns

Amico: Frank Vogel’s Championship Experience Likely Too Much for Suns to Resist

June 2, 2023

Suns owner Mat Ishbia and GM James Jones apparently wanted an experienced coach to replace Monty Williams, dismissed at the end of the season.

And Frank Vogel has won a championship. Of course, it helped that Vogel had an experienced roster that featured the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis when the Lakers won the Disney bubble championship in 2020.

But the fact Vogel has coached such big names probably help him land the job in Phoenix, where he will now coach the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul — three future Hall of Famers. And let’s not forget, Vogel once coached the Paul George-led Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals.

So when it comes to star-driven teams, Vogel knows the drill. He has been there, done that, and is therefore likely prepared to do it again.

Vogel is definitely an interesting choice nonetheless. He coached nowhere this past season after being fired by the Lakers following the 2021-22 season. Some of the Suns players, including Booker, were said to favor Suns assistant Kevin Young in the coaching search.

But the Suns felt as if Vogel is a better tactician and better at dealing with the sometimes bigger personalities of the bigger stars. He has a reputation as a players’ coach.

From that standpoint, the hiring makes sense. Vogel has a ring. Durant has a ring. And Ishbia and Jones want a ring with this version of the Suns, who reached the Finals as a different team in 2021 — or one year after Vogel and the Lakers won it.

The idea here, it seems, is for them to try to get back quickly. So the pressure is really on Vogel, but he’s used to that, and given that alone, the Suns feel like they found the best possible fit.

For the record, Vogel is agreeing to a five-year deal worth $31 million, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“For the Suns, Vogel’s connectivity and collaborative approach provided the organization confidence that this could be a long-lasting partnership with staying power,” Charania wrote.