Frank Vogel to Magic: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The Orlando Magic landed one of the biggest prizes on the coaching carousel on Friday when they agreed to a deal with Frank Vogel, the team announced.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel first reported that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle on Thursday.

David Aldridge of TNT reported the contract is worth $22 million over four years.

This follows Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird announcing on May 5 that he elected not to renew Vogel’s contract after he coached the team for more than five seasons. Vogel took over for Jim O’Brien during the 2010-11 campaign and coached 38 games that season before accumulating an impressive 250-181 mark (.580 winning percentage) on the Indiana sideline.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical previously reported the Magic met with Vogel on Monday and called him "a strong candidate" for the job.

He takes over a Magic squad in desperate need of a boost, considering it hasn't reached the playoffs since the 2011-12 campaign. That postseason drought could end soon, since the Magic will get a coach in Vogel who finished with a winning record every season with Indiana except for 2014-15, when superstar Paul George only played six games as he recovered from a serious injury:

Season	Record	Playoffs
2010-11	20-18	Lost first round
2011-12	42-24	Lost second round
2012-13	49-32	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
2013-14	56-26	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
2014-15	38-44	—
2015-16	45-37	Lost first round

Vogel was also an assistant with the Boston Celtics from 2001-04, the Philadelphia 76ers in 2004-05 and the Pacers from 2008 until he took over the team in the head coaching capacity.

All that winning led to five playoff appearances in six years. They lost to the No. 2-seeded Toronto Raptors in a full seven games in the first round this year but still deserve credit for even advancing that far, as George played his first full season since his injury and frontcourt stalwarts David West (San Antonio Spurs) and Roy Hibbert (Los Angeles Lakers) laced it up elsewhere.

While Vogel and the Pacers bowed out early this year, they were arguably the most difficult opponent in the Eastern Conference for LeBron James and the Miami Heat when the King took his talents to South Beach from 2010-14. 

Miami eventually eliminated Indiana in six games in the 2012 second round, seven games in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals and six games in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals, but the way Indiana battled against the loaded Heat squads was a testament to Vogel’s ability to teach team defense:

Season	Def. Rating
2010-11*	103.4 (12th)
2011-12	100.4 (10th)
2012-13	96.6 (1st)
2013-14	96.7 (1st)
2014-15	100.9 (8th)
2015-16	100.2 (3rd)

Vogel—who Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star called “the best coach on the market” after the Pacers didn’t renew his contract—brings his defensive acumen to Orlando. That improved defense will help a Magic squad that finished a middling 17th in defensive rating during the 2015-16 season, per NBA.com. 

The Magic will also get a coach who developed plenty of talent in Indiana. Chris Mannix of The Vertical pointed to Hibbert’s “resurgence” under Vogel, as the big man became a defensive force in the paint and a two-time All-Star when the coach was with the Pacers.

Mannix also highlighted George Hill’s ascension from bench player with the San Antonio Spurs to solid point guard in Indiana and the fact George blossomed into one of the league’s best players under Vogel. Even the inconsistent Lance Stephenson was a dangerous two-way player with Vogel.

The hiring of Vogel makes sense for Orlando, since it will likely rely on the development of young players such as Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo, Evan Fournier, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon in the coming years.

With a track record of development and defense like Vogel's, it is something of a gift for the Magic that he was made available after the Los Angeles Lakers signed Luke Walton and the Minnesota Timberwolves landed Tom Thibodeau. He is a proven coach who should bolster enthusiasm within the fanbase as the 2016-17 season approaches.

History suggests Vogel will maximize the talent of the players on the Magic. If he does that, they will consistently compete in the postseason just like the Pacers did under his direction.