Per a report from ESPN insider Shams Charania, veteran coach Frank Vogel has finalized an agreement with the Dallas Mavericks to join Jason Kidd’s staff. The former Suns, Lakers, Magic, and Pacers head coach will replace Sean Sweeney as lead assistant on the Maverick bench. The coaching carousel continues to revolve for Dallas, as Sweeney departed for an elevated position with San Antonio earlier this offseason.
Vogel was initially brought into the Mavericks organization before the 2024-2025 season as a consultant, a position that kept him on the periphery of the team. Prior to this role, Vogel coached the Phoenix Suns for the 2023-2024 season and was dismissed after the team lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Vogel made his head coaching debut with the Indiana Pacers from 2011 to 2016. After a two-year stop in Orlando, Vogel landed the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jason Kidd was brought onto Vogel’s staff as an assistant shortly after, and the two won the NBA Championship together in 2020 during the COVID bubble.
Due to the connection between Vogel and Kidd, it had long been speculated that Vogel would eventually move into a more prominent role with the franchise. With Sweeney and player development coach God Shammgod departing (and Jared Dudley likely to follow), Vogel fills a huge void on the Maverick bench. This move also reunites Vogel with Anthony Davis, who helped lead the Lakers to the title five years ago.
This will be Vogel’s first time in an assistant coaching role since 2011, when he served under Jim O’Brien in Indiana. Vogel has a career 480-422 record as a head coach (49-43 playoffs) and won nine playoff series over 12 seasons. With a reputation as a defensive-minded coach, Vogel could take over the “defensive coordinator” role, as Dallas continues to rebuild the staff around Kidd.