The Golden State Warriors may already have a possible Steve Kerr replacement lined up after the franchise hired Frank Vogel to be their associate head coach on Sunday.
Kerr nearly left the Warriors after last season's Play-In elimination and absence from the playoffs, having played out the year without a contract for next season. Despite reports of his imminent departure, Kerr eventually signed a new two-year deal in what could likely be his last deal with the franchise.
Warriors may have Steve Kerr replacement after Frank Vogel hiring
While Golden State are still focused on the short-term and particularly if they manage to land 41-year-old superstar LeBron James in free agency, there's no doubt they would have also taken a look ahead to what a post-Kerr era would look like.
They would have been left with no choice but to do so after last season came to an end, with instant reports speculating that Kerr had coached his final game with Golden State after 12 seasons and four NBA championships.
While Kerr has returned and will lead the way over the next two seasons, hiring Vogel could be a nod to not only trying to improve in the short-term, but also looking at a potential Kerr successor in the 2028 offseason.
Vogel has immense head coaching experience across stints at the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. He's been in the top job for nearly 1000 NBA games, including leading the Lakers to the championship in 2020, and the Pacers to a pair of Conference Finals appearances prior to that.
Frank Vogel might have eyes on becoming Warriors' next head coach
Any coach who applied or looked at this role under Kerr would surely have an eye on the future and the potential of the top job becoming vacant in two years. Vogel has now been out of a head coaching role since his exit from the Phoenix Suns in 2024, and a couple years off could have reignited the fire to lead his own team once again.
While there's a long time between now and 2028, and even though there's no assurance that Kerr even departs at that point, there's nonetheless no hiding away from the thought that this could be the start of a possible succession.
The Warriors are still likely to make another addition to the coaching staff after losing Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, but it's unlikely that it's anywhere near as notable as this Vogel hiring given his stature and experience.
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