Frank Vogel fired as Los Angeles Lakers coach after disappointing season
Frank Vogel has coached his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers announced Monday that they have parted ways with Vogel after three seasons. Vogel's contract had been extended last offseason through the 2022-23 season.
FRANK VOGEL OUT AS LAKERS' COACH: Here's a look at possible replacements in Los Angeles
The Lakers finished the 2021-22 season with a disappointing 33-49 record, well below expectations after the team came into the year with title aspirations following the acquisition of Russell Westbrook over the offseason. Los Angeles was eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday after a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
OPINION: After missing playoffs again, has Lakers' investment in LeBron James and Anthony Davis been a bust?
In his first season with the team, 2019-20, Vogel had led the Lakers to a championship during the COVID-19-altered 2020 season in which L.A. toppled the Miami Heat in the Orlando bubble. But this season marked the second consecutive disappointing finish for the team after the Lakers were dropped in the first round of the NBA playoffs last year against the eventual Western Conference champion Suns.
This was an injury-plagued season for an aging Lakers team. LeBron James and Anthony Davis each missed significant playing time. Westbrook struggled to acclimate to a new team. As a result, James, Davis and Westbrook played just 21 games together. Roster construction, beyond Westbrook's ill-fitting role, was also a problem. It would've been difficult any coach to overcome the injuries and roster limitations and win with the Lakers this season.
Vogel said he hadn't been informed about his status Sunday night, a 146-141 win against the Denver Nuggets to end the Lakers' season.
"I haven't been told (expletive)," Vogel said. "I'm going to enjoy tonight's game and celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W."
Vogel, 48, posted a 127-98 record with the Lakers. Over his 11-season coaching career also spent with the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic, he is 431-389.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frank Vogel fired as Lakers' coach after disappointing season
