Pacers name Frank Vogel coach

They might not have a season next year, but the Indiana Pacers aren’t taking the summer off.

On Wednesday, president of basketball operations Larry Bird announced the Pacers had hired Frank Vogel as its new head coach.

Vogel had previously been the Pacers’ interim coach after Jim O’Brien was fired in January.

He has been a part of the Pacers organization since 2007 when he started as O’Brien’s assistant coach.

“We’re very happy to have Frank as our coach,” Bird said in a press release. “As I stated after the season, I was in no hurry regarding the coach, mainly because I knew I had a good candidate in Frank. But we wanted to get through the draft, and I wanted to have numerous conversations with Frank about a staff that will cover all areas.
“I feel strongly he is doing that, and this coaching staff as a whole will help this franchise continue to move forward.”

Despite the Pacers’ somewhat turbulent history, Vogel seems to be the coach to turn things around. Since he replaced O’Brien, Vogel went 20-18 and led the team to the playoffs, the first time since 2006. They lost in the first round of the playoffs 4-1.

According to various reports, former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw will soon be named Vogel’s head assistant coach.

“I’m very grateful to (team owner) Herb Simon, Larry Bird and (general manager) David Morway for giving me this opportunity,” Vogel said in a press release. “Our team last year finished strong with a positive playoff showing, and it’s something we all can definitely build on. This is a challenge I embrace and look forward to.”

In last month’s draft, the Pacers took Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State in the first round and Davis Bertans from Latvia in the second round.

Currently, the NBA lockout threatens any chance of a 2011-2012 season. If the lockout continues, it will be the second since the 1998-99 season when disputes between owners and players resulted in a 50-game season.