G Fiume/Getty Images The Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching search has come to an end, as they officially hired former Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel to try to right the ship Monday. "I am very excited for this opportunity to join the Lakers, a prestigious organization that I have long admired," Vogel said in the team's release. "I look forward to coaching such phenomenal talent and bringing my strategic vision to the team." ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ohm Youngmisuk first reported the news that Vogel agreed to a three-year deal with the team Saturday. The Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli reported Saturday that Jason Kidd, who interviewed for the post in April, will join the Lakers as an assistant. Wojnarowski added Kidd will receive a "prominent assistant coaching role" on the staff. This comes after former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams took the Phoenix Suns job and former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue withdrew from consideration earlier in the month. After serving as an assistant coach in the Association for nearly a decade, Vogel received his first head coaching gig on an interim basis in 2011 in Indiana. He would go on to play a key role in turning the Pacers into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference during the first half of this decade. Vogel went 250-181 in five-plus seasons in Indiana, posting a losing record just once while topping out at 56 wins. Under his command, the Pacers made back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014, losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat both times. Video Play Button Videos you might like Vogel then spent two seasons with the Magic, going 54-110 before being relieved of his duties in April 2018. When Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on May 6 that Lue and the Lakers had been working on a deal to fill the vacancy, Vogel's name had come up as a potential lead assistant. With Lue bowing out of the running, though, Vogel had the opportunity to grab an even bigger role. Despite signing James—a four-time NBA MVP and three-time champion—last offseason, Los Angeles missed out on the postseason for a franchise-record sixth consecutive season while going 37-45 in 2018-19. While the team managed to stay in contention past the All-Star break, injuries ultimately took their toll. James is under contract for at least two more seasons, though the rest of the roster may be retooled as the Lakers look to return to contender status. The Lakers enter the lottery with the fourth-worst odds (2 percent) to win the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. It's been an offseason of change in L.A. Not only did former coach Luke Walton move on to the Sacramento Kings, but Magic Johnson also unexpectedly stepped down as team president in April. That left Jeanie Buss and Co. several keys spots to fill. The Lakers' roster is far from settled, but the organization believes Vogel is the right choice to lead it into the future.<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement with Frank Vogel to be their head coach, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. The Lakers are also hiring Jason Kidd, the Hall of Fame point guard who has coached the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, as an assistant, according to the people, who were not authorized to discuss the moves publicly. Both deals materialized Saturday and come one month after the Lakers parted ways with Luke Walton; three days after talks broke down with Tyronn Lue, their top choice; and just over 24 hours after a small group of fans gathered outside of Staples Center and protested the franchise’s recent instability. The agreements with Vogel and Kidd were first reported by ESPN. Vogel, 45, did not coach this season, but he had a two-season run as head coach of the Orlando Magic from 2016 to 2018 after a successful six-season tenure as coach of the Indiana Pacers. With the Lakers, Vogel will face immediate pressure to help restore an N.B.A. flagship franchise that has fallen into relative disrepair despite the addition of LeBron James last summer.<doc-sep>
Days after missing on former Cleveland Cavaliers title-winning coach Ty Lue, the Los Angeles Lakers have their man. Frank Vogel will be the next coach to lead LeBron James and company. Vogel interviewed for the job two days ago. Earlier this afternoon, he was reportedly the “front-runner” for the position. Now, per multiple reports, he has accepted the job. From ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Frank Vogel has agreed to a deal to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 11, 2019 Frank Vogel will reportedly have Jason Kidd, who was a bone of contention for Ty Lue, on his staff. Kidd was also a candidate for the head coaching role, and has a good relationship with James. The front office seemed extremely focused on making sure Kidd was going to be involved here in a major capacity. Jason Kidd has agreed to join Vogel's Lakers staff in a prominent assistant coaching role, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/ZrQRWfq1US — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 11, 2019 Both Vogel and Kidd have been head coach of multiple playoff teams. Vogel coached the Indiana Pacers from 2011-16, and the Orlando Magic from 2016-18. He has a 304-291 overall record as coach. He made the playoffs five times in six years as Pacers head coach, reaching the conference finals in 2013 and 2014, where he lost to James and the Heat. Kidd coached the Brooklyn Nets to the conference semifinals in 2014, before abruptly leaving for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he made the playoffs twice in three full seasons, before being fired after a 23-22 start in 2017-18.