Report: Jeff Hornacek emerges as candidate for Pacers’ coaching job

On the heels of Thursday’s news that Frank Vogel will not be retained as head coach of the Pacers, team president Larry Bird will apparently consider an old competitor from back in his playing days to fill the fresh vacancy.

According to a report by Ken Berger of CBS Sports on Thursday, former Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek is expected to emerge as a contender to succeed Vogel.

While Hornacek, 53, was fired midway through just his third season in Phoenix (hastened in large part by overwhelming franchise toxicity), he is held in high regard for his abilities as an offensive tactician, one of Vogel’s biggest weaknesses as a head coach. While many were expecting them to be a lottery team, Hornacek impressively led the Suns to a miraculous 48-win campaign in 2013-14 (his first year coaching in the NBA) thanks to a fast-paced motion offense. He would finish as the runner-up for the Coach of the Year Award that season.

Hornacek deserves another chance to coach in the NBA, but it remains to be seen how extensive Indiana’s hunt for a new head coach (which Berger also notes may include Bulls associate head coach Jim Boylen) will ultimately wind up being.

H/T theScore