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Houston Rockets: 5 Best Candidates For Head Coaching Job

By Gerald Bourguet

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Houston Rockets
Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel reacts in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Frank Vogel

Before Larry Bird announced that the Indiana Pacers would be parting ways with head coach Frank Vogel Thursday morning, Jeff Van Gundy would’ve been the top candidate in this category. But with a defensive mastermind and bonafide top-10 head coach like Vogel available, the Rockets should’ve picked up the phone the moment those words left Bird’s lips.

For some reason, the Pacers craved a new voice in Indiana, despite the fact that their real problems were with the roster itself. The Pacers tried to embrace small-ball overnight, signing a bunch of shooters who couldn’t actually shoot. Despite lacking the right personnel, Vogel still fielded the league’s third ranked defense this season — no small feat for a team that was starting Monta Ellis and lost David West and Roy Hibbert over the summer.

Even better, Vogel is no stranger to the organization, having interviewed for the head coaching gig back in 2011. According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Vogel could launch to the top of Houston’s list now that he’s available.

Vogel wasn’t able to prove himself over Kevin McHale five years ago, but he certainly has a much stronger resume to work with now.

In his six seasons at the helm of the Pacers, Vogel’s teams posted a 250-181 record for a .580 win percentage that ranks 21st all-time among coaches who have coached in at least 400 games. The Pacers never made it to the NBA Finals, but they took two all-time great Miami Heat teams to the brink in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals series.

The only year Indiana missed the playoffs under Vogel was the season Paul George only played six games coming off that horrific leg injury, and his teams were in the top 10 in defensive rating every single year — including leading the league in 2012-13 and 2013-14 — with the exception of his first season, when the Pacers ranked 12th.

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The Rockets desperately need some accountability on the defensive end, and Vogel would provide it. There’s no guarantee his hands on and less laid back approach would mesh well with one of the NBA’s laziest star defenders, but Vogel is a genuinely positive person with a proven track record and the Rockets would do well to haul him in.

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