Former Suns head coach joins Mavericks coaching staff as lead assistant

Vogel’s time with the Suns:

After owner Mat Ishbia and the front office decided to fire head coach Monty Williams, the leadership in charged elected to hire Vogel. The 52-year-old was on a year-hiatus, after being fired by the Lakers in 2022. The franchise was coming off a second-round exit, where it took the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets to six games. Hopes were high for the following year.

Phoenix under Vogel was a respectable 49-33 in a tough Western Conference. Despite nearly winning 50 games, the Suns were the sixth seed and facing off against a tough Minnesota Timberwolves team. The team was swept in embarrassing fashion and left crushed by superstar Anthony Edwards.

Regardless of the sour taste of the playoffs, the team had a stellar regular season and was primed to bounce back with star players like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. However, Ishbia didn’t view the year as an encouraging sign and swiftly fired Vogel after only one season.

Ishbia would then hire another championship-winning coach in Mike Budenholzer to even worse results, going 36-46 and missing the Play-In entirely. Phoenix might’ve given up on Vogel too quickly, but it’s too late to think about the past with Jordan Ott taking the helm. The Mavericks are getting a 20-year coaching veteran in Vogel, while the Suns are getting a young prodigy in Ott that can hopefully turn the team’s trajectory around.