Frank Vogel wasn’t planning on immediately jumping into another NBA coaching job, but Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors gave him a reason to reconsider.
Vogel has joined Kerr’s staff after spending last season as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, and the former championship-winning head coach admitted there weren’t many situations that could have brought him back so quickly.
“Most scenarios or situations in the NBA, it would’ve been a ‘no’ for me to jump right back into another job,” Vogel said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Kerr had previously attempted to bring Vogel to Golden State in 2024, but the timing wasn’t right. Two years later, Vogel saw a Warriors roster he believes is still capable of competing at the highest level.
“Any team with Steph Curry and Draymond Green can win,” Vogel said. “They’ve just had injuries the last couple of years. That’s the only reason. So, that starting point alone gives you confidence that you can win at a high level.”
Golden State’s pursuit of Vogel also created speculation that his history with LeBron James could help the Warriors in their attempt to land the superstar. Vogel coached James for three seasons with the Lakers, including their 2020 championship run, but he shut down the idea that LeBron was behind his hiring.
“LeBron and I still have a great relationship, so that may have been something that could’ve been enticing to him,” Vogel said. “But whether we had LeBron or not – and we, from what I understand, felt like it was still a long shot to get him. So that was not the purpose in hiring me.”
Instead, Vogel’s focus will be on improving Golden State’s defense, where he’s particularly excited about working with Kristaps Porziņģis.
“I’m really excited about putting him in my defensive system,” Vogel said. “Because there are a lot of details I believe in with my defensive system and how I use shot-blocking bigs that really get a lot out of ’em on that side, and I really look forward to putting KP in those spots.”
After injuries derailed Golden State over the past two seasons, Vogel believes a healthier roster and a revamped defensive approach could put the Warriors right back in contention.
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