Oh, so that’s where he went.
After an insightful Media Day and two days of training camp, the mood around the Phoenix Suns is upbeat. This positive energy comes partly from the roster built by James Jones and Josh Bartelstein, and partly from the meticulous coaching style of Mike Budenholzer.
Coach Bud has picked up where the previous regime left off, doing his best to push the team forward. But what about that former regime? Where is Frank Vogel, who didn’t pursue any of the NBA coaching openings this past offseason?
As it turns out, Frank Vogel is now a coaching consultant for Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks.
Former Suns coach Frank Vogel is “part of our coaching staff” as a coaching consultant, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd says.
“It took a lot of begging,” Kidd joked, “but he was talked into it and I’m happy he said yes.”
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Kidd was a key member of Vogel’s coaching staff during their time with the Los Angeles Lakers, where they led the team to a championship in the Orlando Bubble back in 2020. In 2021, the Mavericks brought Kidd on board as their head coach. Vogel lasted two more seasons in the City of Angels and, like Mike Budenholzer, took a year off from coaching.
After taking a year off, Vogel returned to coaching in Phoenix, where he led the Suns to a 49-33 record and secured a sixth seed in the Western Conference. Despite a decent regular season, the Suns’ postseason run was far less impressive, as they suffered a disappointing first-round sweep.
The Mavericks made a run to the NBA Finals last season, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games. Will Frank Vogel be the missing ingredient to a formula that equates to a championship? Jason Kidd hopes so.
“Being able to work for Frank was something that helped me with my coaching…” Kidd told reporters on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we can win another title together.”
Vogel has 12 seasons of coaching experience under his belt and a .533 winning percentage in the postseason. He had .000 wining percentage in the playoffs while with the Suns.