The Indiana Pacers season has been over for a day, and president Larry Bird is uncertain about what the team will look like next year.
Head coach Frank Vogel saw his contract expire at the end of Indiana’s season. In this, it appears that his future with the team is iffy.
Bird had this to say about the head coach on Monday (via Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star).
“I don’t know what’s going to happen…What I don’t want to do is leave Frank hanging — there’s other jobs out there he could get.”
If the Pacers decide to let Vogel walk, he wouldn’t have a hard time finding a new job. Indiana, however, might have a hard time finding a coach that’s been as successful as him.
Since taking over in the middle of the 2010-11 season, Vogel has a 250-181 record with the Pacers, posting a losing record just one time during that span.
That’s the only time Indiana has missed the playoffs during Vogel’s tenure and it came with Paul George missing all but six games.
It’s clear that the Pacers need to get better if they are going to compete for a title. Still, Vogel’s record tells us a story of a team that’s remained competitive under his watch. Its loss to the Toronto Raptors in seven games this season is a prime example of this.
There are certainly talented coaches available this year, but it will be hard to get one that brings as much to the table as Vogel. Letting him go to another team would be a mistake for Indiana.