Warriors hire Frank Vogel as associate head coach

The Warriors have added another championship coach to Steve Kerr’s staff.

More specifically, Golden State announced that Frank Vogel has been hired as associate head coach after spending the past two seasons with the Mavericks, most recently as their lead assistant. Vogel will run the Warriors’ defense.

“He made a great pitch and how I could come in here and make an impact on their team,” Vogel said of Kerr, via the Mercury News. “That I would run the defense, and that there’s nobody in the league that they would want more to do it than me.”

Vogel owns 12 years of head-coaching experience, highlighted by the Lakers’ 2020 championship. He also coached several rugged Pacers teams, spent two seasons with the Magic and went 49-33 during his lone season with the Suns.

Phoenix fired Vogel after being swept by Minnesota in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

“When you put in this type of work for the 25 or so years that I’ve been doing it, you reach a level of expertise that you don’t want to go to waste,” Vogel said. “I love just being able to take all of the battle scars and all the knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the years, and using that to contribute to a group that is trying to do something special.”

That’s exactly what Golden State needs. The Warriors are still trying to squeeze another run from Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Vogel gives Kerr an experienced defensive voice who has coached stars, navigated long playoff runs and already knows what championship pressure feels like.

Golden State’s window may be narrowing. Its coaching staff just became considerably more experienced.