Greg Popovich named NBA Coach of the Year, Vogel finishes 3rd

Indiana-native and San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year Tuesday, his second time winning the award, voted on by the media.

Popovich beat out Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and the Pacers’ Frank Vogel. He led the Spurs to the best record in the Western Conference, 50-16, tied with the Bulls for the best in the league.

You can’t go wrong with Popovich taking home the hardware. His San Antonio teams have registered a winning record in every year but his first season with the team, 16 years ago. He remains the longest-tenured coach currently in the NBA.

Frank Vogel had a real chance at the award, considering all the work he has done as head coach for less than two seasons.

The Pacers earned the third best record in the East, at 42-34, in a lockout-shortened season. The blue and gold finished with their highest winning percentage since the 2003-04 team that lost in the Eastern Conference Finals.

He has done a terrific job gaining the attention of the locker room and ensuring they are on the same page. Executives, coaches and players all respect the young, likable coach who believes in his team.

How the voting went:
Popovich received 77 first-place votes, 24 second-place, 10 third-place for a total of 467 points.

Thibodeau got 27 (1st), 53 (2nd) and 21 (3rd) votes for a total of 315 points.

Vogel tallied 7 (1st), 27 (2nd), 45 (3rd) votes for a total of 161.