Suns make decision on head coach Frank Vogel

Oct 12, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel encourages his team before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The Frank Vogel era in Phoenix is over just as quickly as it began.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Thursday that the Suns have decided to fire their head coach Vogel after just one season in charge. The move comes after Phoenix, with the third-highest payroll and tax in the league this year, got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Vogel, a former NBA champion head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, signed a five-year, $31 million deal to become Phoenix’s head coach just last offseason. He led the team to 49 wins and a top-six finish in a competitive Western Conference. But it appears that their first-round sweep as well as subsequent rumors that the Suns’ stars were not happy with Vogel’s offense ultimately sealed his fate.

The Suns, who had championship aspirations this season under ambitious, spend-happy new owner Mat Ishbia, will now be looking to hire their third head coach in the last three years. A bigger concern than the coach though might be the roster as Phoenix is set to enter a summer of uncertainty with regard to their Big Three.