The Indiana Pacers signed coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension on Wednesday. The exact terms of the extension were not disclosed, but the move indicates Vogel is not on the coaching hot seat.
The multi-year extension was announced Wednesday by the team.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue my tenure as Pacers' coach," said Vogel, according to the team website. "It's an honor to represent this franchise and lead this team. I look forward to the challenge ahead. I'm grateful to have had good, coachable teams along with coaching staffs that have been second to one."
"We're very happy to extend Frank's contract," Pacers president Larry Bird said. "I believe he has done a great job and I look forward to continuing our relationship and working together to achieve all of our goals."
The extension, along with Bird's endorsement, helps to dispel the notion Vogel was on - or headed - to the hot seat. A late season collapse by the Pacers had Vogel's job security being questioned, and Bird criticized Vogel for not being tougher on the players.
"Vogel was under fire last season, but ownership and management stood by him amidst the team's second-half slump," Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote Sept. 23. "... Given the outright collapse late last season, Vogel will be scrutinized more closely, even with expectations being lower. If his team doesn't compete, he could find himself out. There isn't an expectation of challenging for a title this year, but with the roster Vogel still has to work with the Pacers are expecting to compete; failing to do that could spell the end of the line for Vogel."
Vogel was heading into the last year of his contract, according to Spotrac. The extension removes Vogel from lame duck status and reassures the locker room - barring anything drastic - he'll be back next season.
