Pacers name Vogel as head coach after run to playoffs

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Frank Vogel was named head  coach of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, about five months  after he took over the struggling team on an interim basis and  led them to a playoff berth.

Vogel, 38, replaced the fired Jim O’Brien on Jan. 30 and  helped the Pacers to a 20-18 finish to the National Basketball  Association’s regular season and their first playoff appearance  since 2006.

Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird said  Vogel, who joined the team as an assistant in 2007 when O’Brien  was named the head coach, had been a favorite for the job from  the start of the search for a replacement.

“I was in no hurry regarding the coach, mainly because I  knew I had a good candidate in Frank,” Bird said in a  statement. “But we wanted to get through the draft and I wanted  to have numerous conversations with Frank about a staff that  will cover all areas.”
Vogel said he believed the Pacers, who grabbed the final  Eastern Conference playoff spot last season, could continue to  show improvement.

“Our team last year finished strong with a positive playoff  showing and it’s something we all can definitely build on,” he  said.