Pacers President Larry Bird announced Thursday morning that the team would not bring Frank Vogel back as head coach after five and a half seasons.
Hours later, Vogel released the following statement through his agency, CSE Talent:
“I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the Simon family, Larry Bird and the entire Indiana Pacers organization for giving me the opportunity to serve as the head coach of this team for the past six seasons. This is one of the top-flight organizations in the National Basketball Association and I truly enjoyed every minute I spent as the leader of this group of men.
“During my time with the Pacers, we made a lot of positive memories and none of that would have been possible without the support of Larry, the front office and all of the players I had the opportunity to coach. We consistently battled through thick and thin, and that is something that I am very proud of.”
“Lastly, I want to give a huge thanks to Pacers fans in Indiana and across the country. You all have treated my family and me with kindness and class throughout our time here and I can’t thank you enough for that. My family and I consider Indianapolis home and this community will always hold a special place in our hearts.”