The Golden State Warriors have added one of the NBA’s most accomplished veteran coaches to Steve Kerr’s staff.
ESPN insider Shams Charania reported Sunday that former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach Frank Vogel has agreed to become the Warriors’ associate head coach.
“Longtime NBA coach Frank Vogel has agreed to become the associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors under head coach Steve Kerr, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on X.
The report came more than 10 minutes after NBA insider Marc Stein first reported that Vogel was poised to join Golden State.
“Frank Vogel is poised to join Steve Kerr’s coaching staff in Golden State, league sources say,” Stein wrote on X.
The move gives Kerr another veteran former head coach on his bench as Golden State continues reshaping its coaching staff ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Warriors Add Proven Championship Coach
GettySteve Kerr (right) talks with Frank Vogel before an NBA game. The Warriors hired Vogel as associate head coach, adding another former NBA head coach to Kerr’s staff.
Vogel arrives in the Bay Area after spending last season with the Dallas Mavericks, first as a coaching consultant and later as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd.
His tenure in Dallas ended after Kidd left the organization earlier this offseason.
Before joining the Mavericks, Vogel spent one season as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Despite leading Phoenix to 49 wins, he was dismissed after the Suns’ star-studded trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal was swept in the first round of the playoffs.
Vogel’s greatest success came with the Lakers, where he guided LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the 2020 NBA championship during the NBA bubble.
Known as one of the league’s premier defensive coaches, Vogel compiled a 480-422 record over 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Lakers and Suns.
Warriors Continue Coaching Staff Overhaul
Vogel’s hiring marks the latest move in Golden State’s effort to strengthen Kerr’s bench after multiple offseason departures.
The Warriors entered the summer needing to replace veteran assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, both of whom left Kerr’s staff following the season. Golden State also lost longtime assistant Chris DeMarco during the year when he accepted the head coaching position with the WNBA’s New York Liberty.
Earlier this offseason, former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green emerged as a leading candidate to join Kerr’s staff before later being reported as expected to join first-time Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May’s coaching staff. Former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau also surfaced in league circles as a possible addition, although no move materialized.
Vogel becomes the first major addition to Kerr’s staff this offseason, though Golden State could still make additional hires before training camp.
Another Championship Connection to LeBron James
Vogel’s arrival also gives the Warriors another coach with extensive experience working alongside LeBron James, whom Golden State continues to recruit this offseason.
Vogel coached James during the Lakers’ 2020 championship season, overseeing one of the NBA’s top defensive teams while helping James capture the fourth title of his career.
There is no indication Vogel’s hiring is connected to the Warriors’ pursuit of James. Still, his familiarity with the four-time NBA MVP gives Kerr’s staff another respected voice with firsthand experience coaching one of the franchise’s most closely watched offseason targets.
Steve Kerr’s Formula Has Worked Before
Golden State has repeatedly turned to accomplished former head coaches to strengthen Kerr’s staff.
Former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson rebuilt his coaching résumé as a Warriors assistant before becoming head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mike Brown followed a similar path, helping Golden State win multiple championships before returning to the head coaching ranks with the Sacramento Kings and later guiding the New York Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973 and his first as head coach.
Stotts also joined Kerr’s staff after an extended run as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers before departing following one season.
Now, Vogel brings another championship résumé and respected defensive mind to a Warriors organization intent on maximizing Stephen Curry’s remaining championship window, while adding one of the league’s most experienced coaches to a bench that could still undergo further changes before the start of next season.
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