Once upon a time, he was just a pre-medical student, playing in minor leagues until senior three. He packed a few bags, threw them on the 1989 Dodge, and drove all the way from New Jersey to Lexington, Kentucky.
A stranger, this outspoken East Coast boy seems to be out of place with southerners. But it doesn't matter, he does almost everything-"from picking up towels to washing clothes", and sometimes he even stays up all night to get a role under Rick Pitino. Frank Vogel is only 5' 5 ".He can't even play on the school team of his hometown of Wildwood High School in New Jersey, and naturally he has not been admitted to any college basketball program. So he went to Juniata College in Pennsylvania, a third-class league, majoring in biology. By the time he was a junior, he was already the captain of the basketball team. However, his average score is only 2.6. Because he didn't do anything in basketball and didn't get into medical school academically, he simply decided to develop in the direction of basketball coach.
"At that time, I was fascinated by college basketball," Frank Vogel recalled. "I was particularly impressed by coach Pitino of the University of Kentucky."
When Frank Vogel is free, he will do odd jobs in new york's five-star basketball camp. That day, when he saw Rick Pitino and his assistant Jim O'Brien recruiting new soldiers, he volunteered.
"Rick replied at the time:' Thank you for your interest in us. If you need anything, please come to us. "vogel said," For me, this has been a shot in the arm.
The conversation was even less than 60 seconds, but at that moment, Frank Vogel had written countless letters of recommendation to Pitino, enthusiastically expressed his enthusiasm for basketball, and vowed to learn a skill even if he ate the northwest wind.
Rick Pitino said, "When I received his letter, he said that he would like to become an administrator of the University of Kentucky and worship me as a teacher at any cost. I really wonder which god wants to come to Kentucky from New Jersey. I only take it as a compliment from a young man with great passion and ambition for basketball. He is a ball nut, and as a result, he is like this. "
1In the autumn of 994, Frank Vogel drove an old car to Kentucky to meet Bill Keightley, the equipment manager who had been working for half a century. He said that he wanted to find a position as an administrator, but he was told in person that there was no way because those positions were reserved for local students. A few weeks later, even Frank Vogel felt that his dream was on the verge of disillusionment, but he still remembered Rick Pitino's "kind words" in his mind.
So, he crustily skin of head went to Jim O'Brien, and the coaching staff to plead with Bill Keatley. As a result, he got him a job to help Jim O'Brien edit videos. Volunteer service, no labor, no future guarantee.
"At that time, I felt very lucky," Frank Vogel said. "... that's really a cheating position. "
At that time, the University of Kentucky had just spent a lot of money on a digital video editing machine, and Jim O'Brien asked him if he could make a computer.
"In fact, I could hardly type at that time, but I had to say immediately,' OK, no problem!' Frank Vogel said, "Later, I was almost integrated with people and machines. I can take it apart and reassemble it like Forrest Gump. I know it like the back of my hand. "
In the first year, during the season of 1994- 1995, vogel spent more time in the editing room than anywhere else, including sleeping. His devotion touched the teaching assistants.
Good words came to Rick Pitino's ears: "They all told me, and people praised him,' This man is sick, and he stayed with me all night to cut films and ask questions. "I thought he couldn't get married, because I always thought he would marry that video recorder and didn't have time to find a girl."
At that time, all the other administrators were locals, and Frank Vogel was not very gregarious. Brian stock, another administrator at that time, recalled, "We were both born and raised at the University of Kentucky, and this sense of pride runs through our blood. A New Jersey kid with a strange accent actually came here to jump the queue ... Other administrators are conscientious, and he is often distracted by his coach Pitino's offensive and defensive strategies during practice. As an administrator, sometimes he may not be competent because his heart and passion are simply teaching. " Editing the film is boring, but the last Kentucky game, the next opponent, the movements of every University of Kentucky player and the movement analysis of every opponent player can't escape vogel's eyes.
Rick Pitino said: "Every three to five years, there will be such a freak (student) assistant. Sometimes I don't think they will graduate because they spend too much time editing movies. "
In fact, many players and staff seldom see Frank Vogel, and they soon know that vogel is serious. If they want to find him, they will go directly to the video room. If he is not in the video room, he may be in the dormitory, where there is a bookcase full of coaches' management materials. No wonder he is always outspoken.
"He always quoted amazing words," said sean gray, another manager at that time. "Soon after you met him, you knew that he would become an NBA coach one day."
After the season of 1995-96, Frank Vogel has become a "five-year-old" and successfully obtained a bachelor's degree in biology. Rick Pitino will certainly not let vogel go. Pitino "fabricated" a video assistant position for him out of thin air, and when he left the university to teach in Boston, he also took vogel with him and eventually promoted him to teaching assistant. Vogel followed O 'Brien to Indiana and took over as acting coach in the middle of last year.
Those who work with him at the University of Kentucky are not surprised at all. Cameron Mills, his roommate, said that every night, vogel "cooks" the movie "The Hosier", which tells the story of an Indiana coach who brings a rural high school to the state championship.
"Everyone who plays basketball has seen movies, but he sleeps every night? It is really every night. Oh, he showed the movie and fell asleep before he knew it. Sometimes I go back to the dormitory in the middle of the night and see Frank lying on the desktop with Hoosier running on the computer. It's really' squatting' to the extreme. "
Do you think the story of Frank Vogel's struggle has a "horse-riding spirit"? 200 1-2004 Assistant Coach of Boston Celtics 2004-2005 Assistant Coach of Philadelphia 76ers 2007-201Assistant Coach of Indiana Pacers 20 1 1- Coach of Indiana Pacers now.
Vogel started as a video coordinator under Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino. Five years later, he was promoted to assistant coach. After Boston Celtics, vogel became the assistant coach of Philadelphia 76ers. After leaving the 76ers, vogel played for the LA Lakers in 2005-2006 and the Washington Wizards in 2006-2007. After that, vogel came to Indiana Pacers as an assistant coach under the head coach and former Celtics colleague Jim O'Brien. At 2011.30 local time, vogel was appointed as the temporary head coach of Indiana Pacers after O 'Brien was dismissed.
At the end of the regular season, he led the team to 20 wins 18 losses and returned to the playoffs after five years. Despite being eliminated by the powerful bulls in the first round of the playoffs, the pacers led by vogel gave people hope for revival.
On July 7th, 20 1 1, vogel was officially appointed as the head coach of the Pacers. The term of the contract is three years.
On 20 13 0 18, the Pacers announced that they had renewed their contract with head coach Frank Vogel.
20 1410/5 according to NBA official website news, Pacers coach Frank vogel was elected as the Eastern Conference All-Star Coach of 2014.
20 15 on March 3rd, NBA officially announced that Pacers head coach Frank vogel was elected as the best coach in the Eastern Conference in February.
20 15 On April 4th, the Pacers beat the Hornets 93-74 at home. This game is the 200th victory of Pacers coach Frank Vogel.
20 16 April16, the NBA announced the winner of the best coach award in April, and the best coach in the East was Frank Vogel of the Pacers.