After having Scott Skiles on the sidelines for one season, the Orlando Magic are set to hire former Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel as their new head coach. Vogel was 250-181 in his six seasons with the Pacers.
The Orlando Magic have reached a deal in principle with Frank Vogel, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) May 19, 2016
Orlando Magic to Hire Frank Vogel
Last week the Magic were shocked by Skiles’ resignation, for reasons rumored to be a disconnect between him and general manager Rob Hennigan. This week the coaching search seemed to be down to either Frank Vogel and current Magic assistant Adrian Griffin. With rumors circulating that Vogel was drawing interest in other markets, the Magic had to move quickly to hire Vogel before the Memphis Grizzlies could, and they did just that giving the coach a four-year contract.
Pacers defensive efficiency ranking in each of their 5 seasons under Vogel: 9th, 1st, 1st, 7th, 3rd. Just awful, right?
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 5, 2016
With the hiring of Vogel, the Magic have brought in a coach with a proven record of bringing young teams along and helping them succeed, while bringing an intensity on the defensive side of the ball. Indiana teams under Vogel ranked in the top ten in defensive rating in each of his six seasons, and ranked in the top three in three of those years.
Also in Vogel’s six seasons they improved in wins each season, not counting the season where Paul George missed 76 games with a broken leg. Those seasons included five playoff appearances, going to the Eastern Conference Finals twice. The Pacers let Vogel go after their first round loss to the Toronto Raptors, where they pushed the conference’s second seed to the full seven games.
Main Photo: NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 27: Frank Vogel, head coach of Indiana Pacers reacts during an NBA game against Brooklyn Nets on December 27, 2014 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
