Warriors hire Vogel as top assistant coach! He helped Lakers win the 2020 championship, set to assist Kerr in the new season

On July 13, Beijing time, per prominent reporter Scotto, league sources informed Hoopshype that the Golden State Warriors are set to bring in Frank Vogel as their chief assistant coach.

Vogel worked as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks last season and previously guided the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA title as head coach.

Born on June 21, 1973, in New Jersey, USA, Vogel is a well-known academic coach in the NBA, widely recognized as a top defensive tactician, a championship-winning head coach in 2020, and officially appointed as the Golden State Warriors' lead assistant coach in 2026.

Vogel's coaching career began as a video analyst, and he started as an assistant coach in 2001, working for the Celtics and 76ers, as well as serving as a scout for the Lakers and Wizards. He joined the Pacers' coaching staff in 2007, building extensive defensive strategy expertise. In 2011, he took over as interim head coach of the Pacers, leading them to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, relying on Hibbert and George to create a dominant interior defense, known for a tough, physical style.

In 2019, Vogel took the helm of the Lakers and led them to the bubble championship in his first full season. Using Davis as the defensive anchor, paired with Howard and McGee to form a two-tower no-fly zone, he flexibly switched between drop coverage, switching, and zone defenses. In the playoffs, he strategically neutralized various star players, and the LeBron-Davis duo complemented each other perfectly on both ends, marking the pinnacle of his career. He later coached the Magic and Suns, leading the Suns to a 49-33 record in the 2023-24 season, though they exited in the first round, he significantly improved the team's defensive efficiency.

Tactically, Vogel's biggest trademark is defensive coaching. His teams ranked first in defensive efficiency three times. He excels at using interior height to lock down the paint while adapting to the small-ball era with flexible lineups, including one-big-four-small and five-small formations. His weakness lies in a relatively traditional offensive approach, relying more on star isolation and pick-and-roll, with a thinner design for movement-based offense.

In the 2025-26 season, he served as the lead assistant coach for the Mavericks, assisting Kidd with defensive schemes. In the 2026 offseason, he joined the Warriors as a core member of Kerr's coaching staff. With a championship head coach background, experience coaching multiple teams, and elite defensive philosophy, he will be responsible for optimizing the Warriors' rotation defense, devising matchup strategies, and addressing the team's interior rim protection weakness, providing tactical support for the Warriors' championship pursuit. Throughout his coaching career, he has a complete head coach resume, excels at communicating and meshing with superstar players, and is widely praised for his in-game adjustments and playoff adaptability.