Why did the Lakers reportedly fire Frank Vogel? Veteran coach unable to overcome Los Angeles' health, roster issues

Frank Vogel's time in Los Angeles has reportedly come to an end. 

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Vogel "coached his final game for the Lakers" on Sunday. Wojnarowski also wrote that the Lakers will dismiss Vogel as soon as Monday and that the team will conduct a "lengthy and expansive" search for a new coach in the offseason. There is "no clear initial frontrunner" to replace Vogel, per Wojnarowski. 

Vogel's reportedly final game with the Lakers was a victory as Los Angeles defeated the Denver Nuggets 146-141 in overtime on Sunday. In his three seasons in Los Angeles, Vogel finished with a record of 126-98 and included an NBA championship in 2019-20.

The Lakers finished the 2021-22 season with a 33-49 record and did not qualify for the postseason. 

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Why did the Lakers fire Frank Vogel?

After a busy off-season bringing Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles to form a Big 3 alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers had sky-high expectations this season after bowing out in the first round of the postseason in 2020-21. 

Rumblings of Vogel's safety as head coach had swirled throughout the season, however, in December, Lakers President and Governor Jeanie Buss said the organization wouldn't be looking to make any drastic changes until the entire roster was healthy.

“Until we’re 100 percent healthy, I don’t think you can really make any judgment,” Buss told NBA.com. “We’re as connected as any organization can be. I really don’t know what you’re looking for me to say. I would say until we’re 100 percent healthy, I won’t make any judgments about anything."

As the Lakers' struggles continued, Vogel's job security again came into question in January, following a 133-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets, with The Athletic's Bill Oram and Sam Amick, reporting that Vogel was being evaluated on a game-to-game basis, adding that he "narrowly avoided" being fired after the loss.

Despite LeBron James playing at near career-best form, Anthony Davis' injury, compounded with Russell Westbrook's ill fit with the team, along with a host of other injury absences and COVID-19 health and safety protocol, meant the Lakers couldn't ever find any real consistency this season, ranking 21st in defensive rating and 22nd in offense. They finished the season 33-49 and did not make the NBA Play-in Tournament. 

Who will replace Frank Vogel as the Lakers' coach?

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the Lakers do not have any clear frontrunners to be the team's next head coach. 

Available coaches: Mike D'Antoni, Mike Brown, Kenny Atkinson, Terry Stotts, Steve Clifford

Frank Vogel contract

In May 2019, Vogel signed a three-year deal with the Lakers to take him through to the end of the 2021-22 season.

“Coach Vogel has a proven track record of success in the NBA Playoffs, and he reflects the core qualities we were looking for in a head coach – including, detailed game preparation, extreme hard work, and holding players accountable to the highest basketball standards,” Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said at the time.

After two seasons at the helm, Vogel agreed to a one-year extension to take him through to the 2022-23 season.

Frank Vogel coaching record