Lakers Officially Part Ways With Frank Vogel, Offer ‘Thank You’

As expected the Lakers have informed coach Frank Vogel that they have decided to part ways, as first relayed by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Shortly after news broke that Vogel had been made aware of his dismissal, the Lakers sent out a tweet of Vogel holding the championship trophy with a note of thanks. Vogel and the Lakers won the 2020 title inside the Disney bubble.

This year, though, Vogel and the Lakers were the NBA’s biggest disappointment, failing to qualify for the postseason despite adding All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook to a lineup that already featured LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

 the decision to fire Vogel was seemingly determined weeks ago, so this news comes as no real surprise. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers’ search for a replacement is expected to be “lengthy and expansive,” with no clear favorites at the moment.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder, 76ers coach Doc Rivers and Raptors coach Nick Nurse are among those who have already been linked to the job, as has Michigan coach Juwan Howard, though there is no reason yet to believe any will become available.

Thank you, Coach. pic.twitter.com/8eb4Ia9ZqI

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 11, 2022

Vogel, 48, coached the Lakers for three seasons. They were eliminated by the Suns in the first round of the playoffs last season and finished 33-49 this year, failing to qualify for even the play-in tournament.

As noted by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, “Vogel received a contract extension prior to the 2021/22 season, but it only tacked one year onto his initial deal with the team, which wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.”

Vogel coached the Pacers and Magic before making his way to the Lakers, and is 430-389 in 11 seasons overall. He is expected to generate interest for other eventual vacancies around the league.