Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel reportedly was coaching for his job on Monday in the Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz.
According to The Athletic’s Bill Oram and Sam Amick, the Lakers are evaluating Vogel’s job on a game-to-game basis.
“While what was seen as a back-and-forth between [LeBron] James and [Magic] Johnson played out publicly for all to see, sources say that behind-the-scenes it was Lakers coach Frank Vogel who was under fire more than ever before,” Oram and Amick wrote.
“By the time the Lakers and Jazz tipped off on Monday night, sources said, Vogel was coaching for his job after he narrowly avoided being fired in the wake of the 37-point loss in Denver 48 hours earlier. Had a scene like that repeated itself against the Jazz, many believed it would have been Vogel’s last game.
“Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and whose contract runs through the 2022-23 campaign, is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and remains at risk of being fired soon if the progress doesn’t continue, sources said. It’s unclear how much Monday’s win relieved the pressure that surrounds him.”
The Lakers are just 22-22 in the 2021-22 season, but Vogel has had to deal with injuries to James and Anthony Davis this season.
Still, it appears that the Lakers coach is on thin ice going forward as the team tries to gain ground in the standings in the Western Conference.
