Lakers Fire Coach Frank Vogel After Leading Team to Western Conference Finals in 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers have made a surprising move, firing their coach after just one season at the helm. The team announced the decision on Wednesday, just days after their deepest run in the NBA playoffs in a decade. Frank Vogel, who led the Lakers to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, is out after a 42-30 overall record, including a 10-10 record in the postseason. Los Angeles advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010 this season but lost in six games to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers had not made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons before Vogel was hired in 2021 to bring the team back to relevance. The Lakers made the playoffs in each of his two seasons, but the team, in announcing his firing, effectively sent the message that the standard of success had since changed to winning the franchise's first NBA championship since 2002. "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans," said Rob Pelinka, the team's president, in a statement. This postseason saw all of Los Angeles' weaknesses and strengths on display. They struggled at times but also showed flashes of brilliance, including a dominant performance against the Denver Nuggets in the first round. However, their struggles in the second round against the Phoenix Suns proved to be too much for the Lakers to overcome. Vogel's exit isn't the end of the difficult questions facing Lakers leadership, who must still decide whether the roster that made it to the NBA's final four in 2022 is good enough to make the Finals in 2023. The team's decision to trade for All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook and veteran forward Carmelo Anthony last summer did not yield a seamless starting lineup, with Lakers starters performing below average in the playoffs. The future of the Lakers remains uncertain as they look to find their next coach and continue their quest for an NBA championship. The team's next move will be closely watched by fans and analysts alike.
